I Thought it Was All in the Movies
by KatPeeta23
Summary: "Mom all that chocolate and the taking a bullet stuff…that's all in the movies…" When Katniss's boyfriend Cato cheats and Katniss's best friend tells her, Katniss seeks revenge. She didn't realize that seeking revenge could show her that boys buying chocolates for girls and taking a bullet for them isn't only in the movies, it's in reality. This is modern boarding high school.
1. Chapter 1

"Hey bitch," Johanna, one of my roommates and my best friend falls onto my bed. "What's up bitch?"

"Nothing." I laugh.

"How's _Cato_?"

Cato Harris is my boyfriend. I wouldn't say I love him but he's cute and he's fun. Johanna Mason and Annie Cresta, my two roommates and best friends hate him. So does my step brother, Finnick Odair, who is also my best friend. My mother and step father decided that they were going to send Finn and I away to a boarding school. They were going to send us to a normal boarding school originally, but while Mom was looking for schools she passed over Interlochen Arts Academy boarding high school. I have a younger sister but we got to choose where to live, and since she was of age, she chose to live with our biological father and I chose Mom. Finnick and I are the same age, sixteen, and we are juniors at our school. I haven't seen my little sister in five years. Mom remarried four years ago and after Finn and I asking to have sleepovers at the same people's house because we are best friends and his friends are my friends and my friends are his, they decided to just send us to boarding school so we would always be with our friends. We came here for our freshmen year, quickly became the most popular people in the entire school, and now we are in our junior year. I never answer the phone for my biological father and every time he calls Mom and asks to speak with me I hang up. If it's Prim, then I'll talk, but if it isn't, I'm not going to speak to him. My step Dad is named Shane Odair. I just call him Shane. It's basically the same situation with Finn's mother, father and little brother.

"Don't be a dick licker." I warn.

"Fuck you, Brainless. You'll see. That Cato bitch is no good."

"He isn't that bad."

"How long's his dick?"

"I dpon't know!"

"I'd appreciate it if you weren't talking about dicks with your brother in here." Finn says as he walks into the room with the phone pressed to his ear. "No Lily, they haven't broken up yet." Finn tells my mother. "I don't know." He pauses. "Dad-god, I'm not asking her that! You guys can talk to her!" he tosses the phone at me.

"What?" I ask.

"Hi honey." Mom says.

"Hey Mom, hey Shane."

"Hi Katniss." Shane says.

"So what'd you guys ask Finn to make him so red in the face?"

I hear a sigh, and I'm guessing it was Mom because A, it sounded like her and B, she sighs when I ask questions that could piss me off.

"First," she begins. "Did you take your medicine this morning?" She means my ADD medicine.

"Yes, why?"

"I'm just making sure." She says.

"What'd you ask Finn?" I repeat.

"I asked if you and Cato had broken up yet." She says.

"No we haven't. Why do you guys want us to break up so badly?" I grumble.

"He's an asshole, that's why." Shane says.

"He is not an asshole, Shane." I argue.

"Don't argue with me." He warns. He's just as much my father as the actual one is, and when I get older, it's him I want to walk me down the aisle.

I have called him Dad before, and he was happy about it.

"Katniss, honey," Mom sighs.

"He put you against the wall right in front of us because you asked him a question!"

"He was playing around!"

"He was not Katniss, and you're just trying to convince yourself he was. You need a boy that makes you smile and holds you when you cry and gives you hugs and buys you chocolate, one that'll kill someone for you. You need…you need someone that would jump in front of a bullet for you. Katniss, I don't mean to be blunt here, but Cato seems like the sort of guy that would _push _you in front of a bullet rather than take one for you." Mom says.

"Mom all that chocolate and the taking a bullet stuff…that's all in the movies…"

"Shane buys me chocolates and gives me hugs and holds me when I cry." Mom says.

"And I would definitely take a bullet for her." Shane adds.

"Katniss, what I'm saying is…" Mom takes a deep breath, and I think he starts crying, because Shane jumps in.

"Katniss…Cato isn't a good person. We…we won't give you our blessing until you find a guy like the one your mother just described. Don't hate us for it honey, that's just reality." He pauses. "Oh, and maybe Finnick was so embarrassed because I asked if you and Cato have had sex yet. We love you, tell Finnick we love him! Bye!" the line goes dead before I have time to react.

I hand Finn his phone. "Mom and Shane said they love you." I huff. Annie comes running in and she's red in the face.

I recognize this look. This look is fury.

"What's wrong honey?" Finn asks. Annie is Finnick's girlfriend, and Mom and Shane adore her.

"I think I just saw Cato sneaking into his dorm with some blond!" she shrieks. "I swear to god, and he was kissing all up on her before she even had the door shut and she was_ kissing him back_!"

I fiddle with my bracelet for a moment in silence as Johanna starts muttering ways to kill and Finn storms off.

I can't help it when I hiss, "They were right. That motherfucking bastard is gonna pay!" and then I race out of the room in my white tank top, sweats and yellow Abercrombie jacket with no shoes. It is Saturday, after all, and I usually spend my Saturdays doing nothing. Finn is at his door and I walk but beside him and push it open.

Sure enough, Cato is on top of some blond, and they're making out and he's tugging at her shirt until she takes it off.

I'm not even upset.

_Shouldn't I be feeling pain right now? _

Finn opens his mouth and I slam my hand over it and press a finger to my lips. Then, I make a camera gesture with my fingers and wink. Finn snaps a picture and send it to my phone, and then I close the door so quietly that they don't hear it.

And then I remember about the outdoors concert for the music part of the performing arts school, and I realize that I'm going to get revenge because I have to sing this song with Cato.

"What are we going to do now?" Finn asks.

"We are going to get revenge, that's what we are going to do." I answer calmly.


	2. Chapter 2

"No." Finn crosses his arms. Bryan, Finn's friend and roommate, and their other roommate, who's name I do not know are in on our conversation.

They don't say anything, but I know they're listening.

The boy never speaks and Finn and Bryan don't notice when he's gone. He's never noticed by anyone and he doesn't have any friends. I know I sound like a bitch but it's true.

"Please?"

Finn punches his mattress. "He fucking cheated on you! I can't stand him and now I hate him more! I'm not going to pretend like he didn't cheat, because he did. I'm putting my foot down."

"I promise I'm not letting him get away with it! Just please pretend like nothing happened until Saturday night."

He runs his hands over his face a few times and gives me a hug. "I'll do it. On one condition."

I groan. "What?"

"The next boyfriend you get everyone approves of, everyone meaning Lily and Dad too. And I get to help in the revenge."

I hesitate. "Deal."

...&...

"Cinna?" I ask. Since I have to perform the concert with Cato on Saturday, I figure I better get this revenge then. Cinna is my music director. Mom and Shane are coming from lower state Michigan to see this. I begged Peeta's roommates and Johanna and Annie to keep their mouths shut.

"Yes, Katniss?" He asks.

"Can I speak to you after class?" I ask.

"How about I meet you at your dorm?"

"Perfect." I reply.

...8...

Fifteen minutes after classes today, which is Tuesday, Cinna comes knocking on the door. Finn, Jo and Annie, Bryan and Johanna's cousin who's a senior named Reese is here. They're all going to be a part of this. Oh, and six other girls I sit with at lunch that are going to also be a part of this.

And Bryan's brother Josh.

Cinna hesitates. "Is this..." He looks around. He's like my uncle, but not by blood. He's become my second father on campus.

"Didn't your wife cheat on you?" I ask.

He stares at me. "I tried to warn you he was no good."

"We all did." Finn says.

"Anyways," I change the subject. "I have to do this concert thing. This is my way to break up with him."

He narrows his eyes. "Explain."

I explain my entire plan to everyone. Cinna grins. "Let's do it."

Everyone agrees and we go off to practice.

As Cinna walks out, I see thy girl thy Cato cheated on me with.

"Hey," I say. She whips around my smiles.

"Hi Katniss."

"You know Cato's cheating on you with me, right?"

She stares at me. "That bitch." She hisses, and clearly she didn't know. She starts apologizing and I wave her off.

"I've got a plan, want in?"

...2...

"Ready to do this?" Cato asks. Finn, Jo, Annie and Bryan are behind the curtain, Bryan's brother Josh me Johanna's cousin Reese are ready to guard so he can't run and the dancers are waiting. Cato takes my hand.

I'm so good at faking when I have to.

I told Mom and Shane he cheated and Shane was really angry. They're here today and I didn't tell them the plan. Nobody but Cinna and the rest of the team knows. The only other person that knows about the cheating is Finn's mystery roommate.

"Let's all give a warm hand to Katniss Everdeen and Cato Harris!" Cinna announces.

I'm at this school for dancing and singing, so that's what I'll be doing.

Turns out the girl he cheated with was named Jennifer and she's going to be with the dancers because she specializes in that.

We start the original song, which is Give Your Heart A Break by Demi Lovato.

I sing the first verse originally and the chorus is sung by both of us.

I start the verse as the music starts to play through the stereo.

_The day I first met you_

_You told me you'd never fall in love_

_But now that I get you_

_I know fear is what it really was_

_Now here we are,_

_So close yet so far._

_Haven't I passed the test?_

_When will you realize,_

_Baby, I'm not like the rest?_

The music stops. Yeah, I'm not like the rest.

The audience starts muttering in confusion and everyone is trying to find out why the music stopped. "What's going on?" Cato asks. I smirks. "What?" He's angry. He is slightly abusive and he does scare the shit out of me.

I say, "hit it Finn!" And people get even more confused.

"Finn?" Cato repeats. The curtains move and expose Johanna, Bryan, Annie and Finn.

Everyone is really confused now. Finn starts the guitar and I get in the position to dance.

_You had it all the day you told me (told me) you want me_

_I had it all but let you fool me (fool me) completely_

_Yeah I was so stupid to give you all my attention_

_'Cause the way you played me exposed your true intentions_

He runs, and Reese and Josh block the way, and the girls come out on the stage. Everyone is piecing what's happening and they're not looking so happy with Cato.

We continue dancing.

_And one day I'll have you beggin' on your knees for me_

_Yeah one day I'll have you crawlin' like a centipede_

_You mess with me and mess with her_

_So I'll make sure you get what you deserve_

_Yeah one day you'll be beggin' on your knees for me_

He keeps trying to run but the boys aren't letting him get away.

I don't know who does it, but someone puts a spotlight on Cato.

_So watch your back 'cause you don't know when or where I can get you_

_I've set the trap and when I'm done then you'll know what I've been through_

_So oh, Mister Player, do you feel like the man now?_

_And I bet you're nervous 'cause this song makes you freak out_

_And one day I'll have you beggin' on your knees for me_

_Yeah one day I'll have you crawlin' like a centipede_

_You mess with me (yeah) and mess with her (yeah)_

_So I'll make sure you get what you deserve (yeah)_

_Yeah one day you'll be beggin' on your knees for me_

_I know I'm being bitter but I'mma drag you under_

_'Cause you just don't, don't deserve "Happy ever after"_

_For what you did to me after you told me you never felt that way_

_It was only just a game_

_(And one day)_

_And one day I'll have you beggin' on your knees for me (beggin' on your knees for me)_

_Yeah one day I'll have you crawlin' like a centipede (crawlin' like a centipede)_

_You mess with me (yeah) and mess with her (yeah)_

_So I'll make sure you get what you deserve (yeah)_

_Yeah one day you'll be beggin' on your knees for me_

Cato is pissed off and everyone is shouting how he's an asshole. "In case you didn't get it, we're done."

Reese steps aside and Cato stares at Jennifer.

"What about you?" He asks angrily.

She just waves. He storms off.

And I'm only just getting started.


	3. Chapter 3

**I apologize for the lack of updating for the last two weeks. I've had my Aunt staying with us.**

"Did you hear?" Finn comes rushing in the room on Sunday morning, waking Jo, Annie and I.

I could hit him.

It's too early to be awake.

"What?" I snap.

"Someone got suspended for a week last night because he beat the hell out of Cato for cheating on you. Cato's passed out in the clinic and the janitor is literally cleaning Cato's blood off the walls by the boys dorm."

"The guy only got suspended for a week? Sounds like a hoax to me." Johanna says.

"It's legit!" Finn insists.

Cinna is in charge of the suspensions and he only suspended the guy for a week.

"Who was the person?" I ask.

"That's the thing Kitty. Nobody knows. Nobody knows except for the person that did it and the staff. Oh, and obviously Cato knows."

"And they won't tell us?"

"No."

"Well I'll just ask Cinna." Annie shrugs.

"No because I already tried asking Cinna and he said he wasn't allowed to tell anyone."

"How do you know he was beating Cato because he cheated?"

"I think I heard someone shouting about you last night about how it was wrong of him cheating on you and all that but I could be wrong. Besides, almost all of the boys in the school want to date you so it would make sense."

I sigh and rest my head back against the pillow. "I really want to know who it was."

"I too, now let's go on a walk." He looks at Jo and Annie and I. "I'll be back here in ten minutes. You girls better be ready." He walks out of the room.

I get up and take a quick shower and dress in my room in yellow skinny jeans and a white loose v-neck and a beige push-up bra. I grab my like and stuff it in my back pocket and wait. Annie and Johanna aren't going to come because they went back to sleep. Finn comes back and just decides the two of us will go. We walk out of the door and all I hear is about Cato and how he got beat up.

"Would Katniss Everdeen please come to the principal's office immediately?"

I ditch Finn and walk off to the office. Everyone stares and I wave at anyone I catch, not to be rude but just to be friendly.

I walk into the principal's office and feel my stomach muscles tighten when I see him and Cinna and Mom and Shane.

"Take a seat please, Miss Everdeen." Principle Snow says. I slowly sit down between Mom and Shane. "Now tell me," he begins. "What do you know about Peeta Mellark?"

"Peeta Mellark?" I repeat. "I've never heard of him."

He sighs and clicks his own on his desk a few times. "Miss Everdeen, this would make everything better if we agree not to lie to each other. Is that equitable?"

"Yes I think that would save time."

"Well Mrs. Everdeen, what do you know about Peeta Mellark?" Principle Snow repeats.

"I don't know anything about Peeta Mellark. I've never even heard of him."

He sighs. "You promised."

"I don't..." I look to Mom and Shane for help. "I really don't know who Peeta Mellark is."

Snow sighs. "Really, miss Everdeen, because he rooms with your brother, and I find it hard to believe that you've never met his before."

"You mean Bryan?" I ask.

"No." He says. "I mean Peeta Mellark, not Bryan Harding."

The kid who's name I don't know?

I frown. "The blond boy, you know; the one that never really speaks?"

"Yes." He says.

"With all due respect Principle Snow, I don't speak to him. I didn't even know his name until today. Finnick and Bryan don't speak to him. I know nothing about him."

He hesitates. "Where we're you after the concert last night?"

"I went out to dinner on campus with my brother and Shane and Mom me then I went back to my dorm, did some homework, studied for my test and went to bed. I have Johanna me Annie and my parents and brother as my witness."

"Did you have anything to do with the beating of Cato Harris?"

"No sir I did not. May I ask you what Peeta has to do with this?"

"That is for me to know and him to tell you if he pleases."

...9...

"So his name is Peeta?" Finn asks.

"Peeta Mellark."

"What does our weird roommate have anything to do with what happened to Cato?" Bryan asks.

"He's not weird. You don't even know anything about him. Don't judge him." I defend.

"You don't know anything about him either." Johanna snaps.

"Which is another reason why you can't judge him, none of us can because we don't know anything about him. There's got to be a reason for him being like this and I want to know what it is."

"Why are you so interested in him all of the sudden?" Annie asks.

I'm about to answer when Peeta walks into the room. He doesn't even look at us.

Finn suspected that he was the one who beat Cato, but this proves he was wrong because the person got suspended. I shoot Finn a "I so called it," and he rolls his eyes.

Someone should say something to him. I feel bad for him.

"Hi." I blurt. His eyes snap up to mine and he looks startled. His eyes are strikingly blue. They're like the ocean and the sky mixed with a touch of the night sky and little streaks of what appears to be gold. He looks so shocked and I realize he's actually kind of cute. He searches my eyes for a long time and I keep his gaze.

Then, he waves and opens his textbook.

"Are your vocal cords removed?" Johanna asks bluntly. He looks up at her with a glare. "Can you not speak?"

"Johanna, stop." I whisper. She's being mean.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Johanna." Annie hisses.

"Are you broken?"

"Johanna." Finn and I say together in a scolding manner.

"What the fuck is up with you? Why don't you speak?"

"Johanna!" I shriek. "Shut the fuck up and stop being such a bitch for once, alright?"

She looks at me with a pissed off glare. "I'll beat your ass." She hisses.

"Go ahead." I stare at her. She won't actually do it unless. I really piss her off.

She sighs "I'm only asking him a few questions."

"It's is bullying. That's what you are doing. Cut it out. You know how I feel about that. Do it again and I'll get a room change and stop speaking to you."

Instead of taking me seriously, she turns to Peeta and says, "I thought I saw you come out of the special kid classroom. That's probably why you're so quiet. You're special education!"

I remember back when I was little, my ex-best friend bullied me since my parents were always fighting and I was depressed. I never spoke. She told me almost word for word what Johanna just said to Peeta and it hurts a lot.

Finns the only one I've ever told about that.

"Get out!" Finn shouts. Johanna stares at him in surprise.

"What?" She asks.

"You're not only hurting Peeta by saying that. Now get the fuck out before I tell Principle Snow."

She does, and Peeta continues to remain silent

I'm seriously thinking about requesting a new roommate.

Annie looks like she's thinking about doing it, too.

I don't know, we'll just talk about it later, I suppose.

I'm about to get up and walk away but my phone ringing stops me.

The caller I.D. says a name that makes me almost drop my phone in Annie's juice.

It's Dad.

I stare at it, and Annie, Bryan, Finn and Peeta watch me.

I start having an internal conflict.

What if it's Dad?

Maybe it's Prim though.

But even if it's not, he's still my Dad. Shouldn't I answer?

I need to be the better person, right?

No, he's an asshole. He told mom he was a child stealer. He was rude and bitter and I hate him.

But prim...

No, no, I won't answer...

I bite my lip and pace around, picking at my fingernails.

When it's halfway through the final chime, my hand snatches it up and presses answer.

"Speaker," Finn hisses. He hates my father too, and I hate his mother.

Annie knows a little bit about my dad and sister but other than that, I like to avoid the subject. Jo knows too and I'm sure Bryan knows from Finn, and maybe Peeta overheard. I put it on speaker and sit down on the bed. Peeta pulls out the one ear bud he walked in with, and the others sit up, tense, waiting. I hear a rustling.

"Katniss?" Prim asks. I let out a long sigh of relief.

"Hey Prim."

"Listen," she says.

"If you're calling me to be Dad's messenger then I'm hanging up."

"No. Please don't hang up." She pleads. I grit my teeth and say nothing. She senses I'm gonna let her speak and she begins. "Look, I get you sort of hate Dad and I and all but I know I've got a step brother and a step dad and all that and your my sister and no offense but I kind if want a brother so could you like tell us where you live. I get you chose Dad but I want to see you and obviously I'm only fourteen and I can't drive. I haven't seen you since I was seven Katniss."

"I don't live with Mom anymore." I grit my teeth.

"What?" She asks. I know I'm on speaker because I hear Dad whispering something frantically. "Why don't you live with Mama?"

"I go to a performing arts boarding school."

"You go school with our brother?" She asks.

"Yes."

"Where is it?"

"Prim no offense but I don't want to see you guys unless I've got mom with me."

"And we understand that, but we go on Thanksgiving break at the end of this week. Can we do it then? Maybe we can spend Thanksgiving together!"

I don't say anything.

"Or you guys can come to us! Grandma and everyone really miss you."

I don't want to!

"Look," I begin. "You need to talk to mom about this."

"Well I don't want to talk to Mom!"

She snaps.

"Then I'm hanging up."

"Fine, go ahead and-"

"Fine, if you want me to ask Lillian, I'll ask Lillian." Dad says.

"Ok bye." I hang up.

Before they can call her, I call Mom.

"Hey sweetie," She says.

"Mom Dad's going to call you." I panic.

"What?" She asks.

"It could have been Prim!" I blurt, panicked, tears welling in my eyes.

"What?" She asks again.

"I'm sorry! Dad called and I answered and Prim asked to see us and I kept making excuses and then she brought up thanksgiving break and I ran out of excuses! I don't know what to do Mom and I'm really sorry!"

She's quiet for a long time. "Do you want them to come?"

"I want Prim."

"It doesn't work that way. Your father remarried and has a step daughter and step son. Either they all come or nobody comes." She's on speaker. I think for a long time.

"I want to see Prim."

"Well then I'm telling them they can come. They're not staying in my house though. Last thing I need is to be near your stupid fath-oh, I shouldn't be saying this to my daughter." She pauses. "Don't repeat that. The last thing we need is a fight."

"I won't." I chuckle. She always speaks her thoughts when she's in a conversation. Finn and I find it funny.

"Okay. I love you. Tell Finnick I love him."

"Love you too, Lily." Finn says.

"Oh, I'm on speaker. Well, your father is calling. I'll call you later. Study for that test in math. Bye." She hangs up.

...8...

My phone starts ringing a few hours later and I put my pencil in my math book. It's late, like nine, and I need to go to bed soon or I'm not going to get up in the morning. I press answer even though it's my Dad. Mom had told me she told them to come.

"Hello?" I ask.

"Katniss oh my god I am so excited to see you!" Prim gushes. She begins to rant and she says how she's missed Michigan and she's looking forward to seeing Mom again my then somehow we get to the subject that I have a concert at school on Friday. It's almost eleven when Johanna, who I made up with, tells me to shut the fuck up.

"Ok Prim I have to go. I'll see you next Tuesday, okay?" I ask.

"Okay! I love you! Daddy said to tell you to have a good week and that he loves you."

I hesitate. I don't really have a reason to hate my father and I would cry if he died. "Tell him I love him too. I love you too. Bye." I hang up.

**Oh, and yes, the song that Katniss sang was from Victorious. **


	4. Chapter 4

"Shit!" I fly out of bed and start pulling on clothes. Campus is half empty because I'm late to class. It's Thursday and I took that really big math test yesterday.

I run out of the classroom tugging a shoe on, and the few people with hall passes walking around campus laugh at me. I walk awkwardly into cinna's class with a hairbrush in my hand. He looks at me and simply laughs.

"I should he surprised but I'm not. Take a seat." He nods at my chair next to Finn. I walk over to him my sit down.

"Overslept again Kitty?" I toll my eyes and start brushing my hair.

"Okay, as all of you know, tomorrow is the last day before break. We have our big concert tomorrow. I know for a fact there will be around two thousand people because a lot if family members are here to get their kids for the holidays and they're attending the concert. Let's go over the list of songs."

He starts down a long tiring list. "Finnick odair, you'll be singing Vienna, by Billy Joel, correct?"

"Yes." Finn says.

My song is Love is a Battlefield by Pat Benatar.

He continues down the list and everyone is perfect. "Oh yeah Katniss," he says. "I skipped right over your name. Your singing Listen to Your Heart, the one by DHT, correct?"

My stomach clenches. "No, you told me I was doing that song by Pat Benatar."

His eyes flood with panic and he starts flipping through papers. "No, Katniss your song is definitely Listen to your Heart." His eyes are so frantic and I can tell he doesn't know what to do.

I pull out my phone and YouTube the song. "Oh, I know this song."

"Enough to play it on piano and perform?" Cinna asks.

"Well, I know the words."

He looks panicked. "I can learn the whole thing by tomorrow."

"You swear?"

"I swear."

...9...

I got a ninety eight on that math test and I was so happy I called Mom screaming. The concert is going on and Finn is just starting his song. I'm going last. I'm pacing around nervously, practicing with an air piano and my voice.

Finn begins singing and I remember when I was a kid and my Dad sang this song to me to get me to sleep, or make me feel better. He always walked around whistling this song.

_Slow down you crazy child_

_You're so ambitious for a juvenile_

_But then if you're so smart tell me,_

_Why are you still so afraid? (mmmmm)_

_Where's the fire, what's the hurry about?_

_You better cool it off before you burn it out_

_You got so much to do and only_

_So many hours in a day (Ay)_

_But you know that when the truth is told_

_That you can get what you want_

_Or you can just get old_

_You're gonna kick off before you even get halfway through (Oooh)_

_When will you realize... Vienna waits for you?_

_Slow down you're doing fine_

_You can't be everything you want to be before your time_

_Although it's so romantic on the borderline tonight (tonight)_

_Too bad, but it's the life you lead_

_You're so ahead of yourself that you forgot what you need_

_Though you can see when you're wrong_

_You know you can't always see when you're right (you're right)_

_You got your passion, you got your pride_

_But don't you know that only fools are satisfied?_

_Dream on, but don't imagine they'll all come true (Oooh)_

_When will you realize... Vienna waits for you?_

_Slow down you crazy child_

_Take the phone off the hook and disappear for a while_

_It's alright, you can afford to lose a day or two (oooh)_

_When will you realize... Vienna waits for you?_

_And you know that when the truth is told_

_That you can get what you want or you can just get old_

_You're gonna kick off before you even get halfway through (oooh)_

_Why don't you realize... Vienna waits for you?_

_When will you realize... Vienna waits for you?_

The crowd explodes in applause.

"Last but not least, let's all welcome a girl whose name I'm sure most of you know. Yesterday we found out that this girl prepared the wrong song and had to change it quickly to the right song. As she plays this, let's all keep in mind that she just got ready for this yesterday dyer classes. She hardly knew the notes, so let's see how she does! Let's all give a warm welcome Katniss Everdeen."

He walks off the stage and gives my shoulder a squeeze of good luck. "If you mess up just restart." He whispers. I nod. The microphone caught his words and everyone heard them.

I walk out onto the stage, and when I'm in view of everyone, I'm sure in going to be sick.

There are so many people here. More

Than half the people in the room don't have seats.

I'm going to throw up.

I almost walk right off the stage, and I start panicking but Finn waves. "I LOVE YOU SISSY!" He screams.

I smile and feel my confidence build and walk over to the piano.

I don't have a microphone.

I look around like an idiot and then Cinna come running back to the stage and handing me the microphone. "Sorry. I forgot to give it to you." He whispers. He walks way again. I switch the microphone back to on and put it on the stand thing and sit down.

I shut my eyes for a moment and my hands are shaking so badly I don't even know if I can do this.

Someone, and I think it might be Shaun, shouts "CUT THE GIRL SOME SLACK AND GIVE HER THE MUSIC SHEETS!" And then people start murmuring in agreement.

Cinna comes out and whispers in my ear. "Do you want these?"

He asks. I glance down at the papers in his hands.

"No. It's not fair to everyone else." I whisper.

"Katniss," he sighs.

"It's okay." I insist. I glance down at the first note and remember. When he disappears, I start to play the melody, and after pressing the first few keys, it all comes flooding back and I remember the whole song.

_I know there's something in the wake of your smile._

_I get a notion from the look in your eyes, yea._

_You've built a love but that love falls apart._

_Your little piece of heaven turns too dark. _

_Listen to your heart_

_when he's calling for you._

_Listen to your heart_

_there's nothing else you can do._

_I don't know where you're going_

_and I don't know why,_

_but listen to your heart_

_before you tell him goodbye. _

_Sometimes you wonder if this fight is worthwhile._

_The precious moments are all lost in the tide, yea._

_They're swept away and nothing is what is seems,_

_the feeling of belonging to your dreams. _

_Listen to your heart_

_when he's calling for you._

_Listen to your heart_

_there's nothing else you can do._

_I don't know where you're going_

_and I don't know why,_

_but listen to your heart_

_before you tell him goodbye. _

I see the door slam shut as I stet the piano solo and I glance up to see, and I'm shocked when I do, Dad and Prim. Dad isn't paying attention and Prim elbows him in the ribs hard and points at me. A women that I don't like right when I see her comes in with two kids, a boy and a girl, twins. My other step relatives.

The solo ends and I go back to singing and playing, pouring all the emotion that I've got in it and pressing the keys harder.

_And there are voices_

_That want to be heard._

_So much to mention_

_But you can't find the words._

_The scent of magic,_

_The beauty that's been_

_When love was wilder than the wind._

_Listen to your heart_

_When he's calling for you._

_Listen to your heart_

_There's nothing else you can do._

_I don't know where you're going_

_And I don't know why,_

_But listen to your heart_

_Before...you tell him goodbye. _

_Listen to your heart, mm-mmmmmm_

_I don't know where you're going_

_And I don't know why,_

_But listen to your heart_

_Before you tell him goodbye._

I let the note fade off and everyone starts cheering wildly. Dad and Prim are with Mom and Shane and Finn and the other step people.

Finn moves nearer to Mom and Shane. Dad and Shane shake hands as well as Mom shaking hands with the step-mother.

I was told to go out to the crowd and sit where I'm supposed to. I walk off the stage.

Am I ready to face them? I've avoided them for so long because I didn't want to face the fact that I love my father and I miss him, but I love my mother more. I don't know who I love and I miss my sister. I know if I see them, his frown Prim is,

I'll miss them desperately when they're gone. I don't like missing people. It's not happy and it takes over your mind.

Slowly, I maneuver my way through the crowd and walk over to my family. My Dad looks at me and his eyes widen and he just looks upset. Prim's so big! She's tall and she looks exactly like Mom. Her boobs are huge, too. I last saw her when she was real young. She's fourteen now.

I look at Mom, who is being very quiet. It's so quiet in our group. I want to tell everyone to leave. I grab Finn arm and give him a pleading look.

"Your boobs finally came in." Prim says. It's probably all she can think of, and it makes Finn snicker.

"So did yours." I reply.

She hugs me, and I hug her back.

She whispers, "Dad really missed you, Katniss. I know you don't like him all that much but at least give him a hug."

Would Mom be mad if I hugged him?

No she wouldn't. If she has a problem with me being near him she wouldn't have told him yes. She isn't that kind if parent that doesn't let their kid see their father.

Dad looks like he's going to cry or something and I still do care and I don't want to make my dad cry, so I hug him, and he hugs me back and it feels like I'm that little kid again and I just saw him for the first time when he left for a week for work and I cried my eyes out. I remember the day he came home, I saw him walk in the door and I had a glass bowl in my hands and I screamed and I dropped it and I ran for him squealing "Daddy's home!" Over and over again. I remember Mom came into the room and she looked at him.

The way she looked at him...it was like Jesus walked into the door. She bursted into tears and ran for him and Dad picked her up and spun her around and I remember I thought she was hurt because she just wouldn't stop crying.

I wish they never started fighting and never got divorced but at the same time I wish that Finn would still have been my step brother and the only way that would be possible is if Mom remarried and if they were in a happy relationship they wouldn't remarry.

I realize just now how much I've really missed them. It's like a stab in the chest.

Why did I push them away?

Dad releases me and sees I'm crying, and the pain in his eyes is so vivid that it hurts.

I back away, and now I'm the one that just can't stop crying. When people, other students start to notice, people start whispering, and then a lot of people are staring and the adults are telling them to cut it out. Prim's crying too, and she's trying to disguise it. Mom looks at the two of us in pain in the same way Dad does and I see them exchange a look.

I dry my tears and decided to suck it up until I'm either alone or with Finn.

"Let's onto your dorm and get your bags, alright?" Mom asks.

I nod through my tears and walk out of the auditorium.

I hear a way too familiar evil laugh and Finn starts grumbling about wishing he was the one. I glare at Cato. Finn whispers who Cato is to everyone that doesn't know.

"I know you were the one that beat my ass. I told the school it was you." He says.

What?

"Choke on a dick Cato." I hiss.

"Ah," he says. He's got a black eye and his arm is broken. "But you see Katniss, I think it was you."

"What the hell do you mean you think? You should know."

He laughs. "I got memory loss."

"I didn't do it." I say. "When did you tell them I did it?"

"Because you did do it,"

"I didn't!" I insist.

"Well if the person doesn't expose them self today, you're getting kicked out. They don't think the kid that got suspended is the one that did it."

And then he walks away, laughing his ass off.

"Well we need to find out who did it then." Dad says.

"I'm going to interrogate someone." I blurt.

"Who?" Finn asks.

"Peeta Mellark." I walk towards Finn's dorm.

"He didn't do it though." Finn chases me, and my family follows too.

"I know he didn't."

"Why are you wasting your time then?" Dad asks.

I stop walking and turn to him. "I think he knows who did it."

…a…

Peeta looks startled when I come into the room and shut the door, having sent Finn to take everyone to my dorm. He stares at me.

"Look, I need to know who beat Cato's ass."

His eyes widen. He shakes his head.

"I don't know if it was you but I think you know who it was."

He swallows and shakes his head. "You can talk to me, Peeta." I whisper, looking down at my hands. "If it's personal, I understand you not wanting to tell me. I get it, really. You hardly know me and stuff and you don't know if you can trust me. But do trust me when I say that I've got shit too. Believe it or not, I used to be just like you. My parents got into fights all the time and they never got along. I dreaded coming home from school. A girl that I thought was my best friend started to bully me because I didn't speak. Being mute was just…easier. I didn't have to deal with bullshit and I never could say anything wrong. I never made friends because I didn't speak, and although it was _really_ lonely, it kept out the drama and I thought I was happy." He's listening intently, soaking in every word. "Then my parents got divorced and I stayed with my Mom and my little sister went with my Dad. Mom remarried and Finn came along and…he got me talking again. When I actually made a friend, and a brother, everything got easier and I realized just how unhappy I was. Peeta, trust me, I understand. If you ever need a shoulder to cry on, I'm here, okay?"

He nods and then sighs. For a moment, I think he's gonna speak, but my hopes drop to the floor when he grabs a notebook an tears out a page.

He looks at me and hols my gaze for a second, and then pats the spot net to home. I sit down on his bed, to the left of him.

He gets a blue gel pen from his bag and writes: _I know who did it._

His handwriting is perfect for a guy. It's tall, but still has that boyish sloppiness to it.

"You do?" I ask, allowing him to change the subject. I have trouble disguising the hope in my tone. He nods. "Well, I need to know."

He starts writing again.

_No, you want to know. You don't need to know anything._

He looks at me and then underlines the word _need_.

"Okay, technically I don't need to know to survive, but if I don't find out who did it I'm getting expelled." His eyes widen and he starts writing.

_That's stupid. You didn't even do anything. Anyways, I'll tell you as long as you __promise__ not to tell anyone. Not Finnick, or Annie or Johanna._

He looks at me again.

"Peeta, if I don't tell, I get expelled."

He sighs sharply and starts writing again.

_You can expose the person, I don't really care. I've changed my mind. Just expose them._

"Okay, who was it?" I ask impatiently. He smiles and writes a single word that honestly shocks me.

_Me_.


	5. Chapter 5

He actually smiles for the first time, in front of me, at least.

Then he writes, _I'm kidding. I didn't think you'd actually fall for it._

My eyes widen and I smack his arm playfully. "You bitch, I thought you were serious!"

He laughs this time, and it's beautiful, and I wish he would do it more often.

He starts writing again.

_No, but I do actually have something to do with it. You see, when I found out Cato cheated that day, when it was before you performed the song, I made a plan. I paid Justin Oharris to beat the fuck out of Cato. He's moving to France and he's already left the school, actually. I'm going to turn him in for you. _

"So…they suspended the wrong kid?"

He nods.

"That's so stupid."

He nods. My phone starts vibrating, and I see it's my mother calling.

"Yeah Mom?" I ask.

"We need to hit the road. There's a snowstorm coming towards us and if we don't leave right now we'll get stuck in the car."

"Oh, okay. I'll be there in a second."

"Okay bye."

"Bye." I hang up. Peeta shows me his notebook.

_Have to go?_

"Yeah, I'll see you when we get back, okay?"

He smiles and nods and waves. I wave back and walk out.

….a….

"Alright," Finn says to me. We've been sitting in the living room, just catching up with the rest of the family. It's snowing really badly. "Why are you being so quiet?" he demands.

"I'm not." I lie.

'Yes you are." Mom says.

"Yeah Katniss, what's wrong?"

"Is it that boy you spoke to?" my step mother asks. Her name is Lisa and she's actually really nice.

"Yes." I sigh.

"Wait, did he actually use physical words and speak to you?"

"He was using a piece of paper."

"Did he tell you who did it?" Finn asks.

I bite my lip.

I promised I wouldn't tell. "I promised…" I sigh.

"Oh who cares? I won't tell anyone, you know that."

"Fine…" I bite my lip. "He said that he got really angry when he found out Cato cheated on me. He said he paid…do you remember Justin Oharris?"

"Yeah, that kid that moved out of the country." Finn says.

"Peeta paid him a thousand dollars to beat the crap out of him."

"Because Cato cheated?" Dad asks.

"I think so. He didn't really say why he did it; he just said he was angry."

"Maybe he likes you." Mom says.

Finn wrinkles his nose. "No." he says. "Well…no. Peeta doesn't speak."

"So?" I ask.

Finn's eyes bulge. "Kitty, you actually_ like_ him?"

"I do not like him; I just think that he's a good guy. He's nice but…" I sigh. He wiggles his eyebrows.

"You have a crush on Mellark. Oh god, Johanna and Annie are going to get a kick out of this!" he whips out his phone.

"I do not have a crush on him, you better not text them!"

"Oh wait, I have Peeta's number!" he jumps up and runs. I chase him and knock him to the floor. He's typing and rolling to get away from me. We're arguing, which, since we are siblings, we do a lot, but we're still inseparable.

"Give me the fucking phone!" I snap.

"It's not your phone!" he snaps back. "God, get off me!"

"You shut the hell up!" Mom and Shane always handle us perfectly. "You are NOT texting him!"

"Jesus!" he shoves me off of him and rolls onto his back.

"Stop being such a dick! Stop it!" I snatch his phone and run.

"Hey! You little bitch, get back here!"

"Ah, the glory of two teenagers the same age," Dad sits back, clearly enjoying himself. Finn gets me back on the floor and I shove his phone in my bra.

"If you go down here I'll call the cops!" I threaten.

"Fine!" he steals my phone.

"Hey! You little douche bag!" I chase Finn.

"Give me my phone and I'll give you your phone." He says.

"Never! You are not going to text Peeta!"

"I'm fucking kidding! I don't even have his damn number!"

"You fucking liar!"

Prim is hysterical, and so are my other step siblings, Katie, who's ten, and Brandon, who's eight.

"Alright," Mom stands up. "Katniss, give Finnick his phone."

"No! He's going to text Peeta!"

"No he isn't." Mom looks at him. "You aren't texting Peeta."

"I'm not giving him his phone back until he gives me my phone."

"Finnick, you're not texting Peeta." Shane says. "Now give Katniss her phone and apologize for pushing her around. You don't do that to girls.

"She's my sister! She doesn't count as a girl!"

"She does too count. You are sixteen years old. Act your age! Now give her the phone right now!"

Finn throws my phone and breaks it when it hits the wall.

So, me being the loving sister, I drop his phone in the garbage disposal and flip the switch.

I wait five minutes before flipping it off.

Finn's so angry, but it's his fault.

"What the fuck!" he shouts. "You broke my phone!"

"You broke my phone!" I shout back.

"You're both going to pay to get one another new phones." Shane says.

"What! Hell no I'm not! He started it! He-"

"Yes you are." Shane says.

"I don't even have to listen to you! You aren't my father anyways!"

Mom looks at Dad, and even though they're divorced, he still reads her. Dad walks into the kitchen then. "Yes you are."

"No I'm not! He isn't my Dad!" I point at Shane. "And even though physically you are my Dad, you've never been there anyways!"

"And that's my fault?" Dad shoots back. "You chose to live with your mother. How many times have I called you since the divorce? Over a hundred? How many times have you answered? Five?"

"Well she didn't want you Ethan." Mom says.

"It doesn't matter Lillian, she's still my kid."

"But she didn't want you."

They start to fight, and I get so pissed off. Finn sighs loudly, and Lisa, my step mom, and Shane, they look like they don't know what to do. Prim's angry, and so am I. "Would you both shut the fuck up already!" I shout. They look at me in shock, because when they fight I normally keep my mouth shut. "I've had it! I spent why to long hearing you two screaming at each other and I've kept my mouth shut. Sure, I w1as upset when you guys got divorced, but I was happy because I was able to sleep without waking up to your two fighting! I don't care whose house this is! If you guys fight one more time when you're here, all five of you are leaving! Why do you think I kept making excuses when you guys asked to come? I knew you were going to do this! Now, I'm going to bed. If I hear one more word I'll send you guys out in the blizzard. I don't give a shit what happens." I grab a can of Mountain Dew and the bag of lime flavored tortilla chips and then flee to my room. "And yes Finn, I'll get you a new phone. Sorry for breaking the old one." And then I slam my bedroom door.


	6. Chapter 6

I can't sleep. It's three in the morning, and I'm like the only one awake.

I roll over again, and sigh.

It's Peeta keeping up.

Why'd he do it?

He doesn't like me that way. I don't think he does, at least.

I roll over a few more times and then give up and go downstairs. I rummage around for sleeping pills or something. I clumsily drop a pill bottle and it rattles on the floor and pops open. I frantically start putting them back in the bottle, and then I hear footsteps.

"What are you doing? Are you taking drugs?" Dad asks.

"No. I can't sleep and I'm exhausted and I want something to make me sleep."

"You are not taking sleeping pills." Dad says.

"I just want to sleep." I whine.

"Sleeping pills are addictive and dangerous." He helps me shove the rest back into the bottle. I put the cap on and put the bottle back in the cabinet.

"I want to sleep." I repeat.

"So take some Nyquil." I ignore him.

Mom walks into the kitchen just then. "What's going on?" She asks.

"Katniss can't sleep and she wants some medicine to make her sleep." Dad explains.

"So take some Nyquil." She says.

"I told her that but she isn't listening to me." Dad says.

Mom pours me the correct amount of Nyquil. "I can't believe you haven't slept yet and it's three in the morning. You should have woken me."

I drink the Nyquil, and them Mom makes me tea. Dad kisses my head and walks away.

Mom sends me to bed with the tea.

I finish the cup and I fall asleep right away.

...8...

I'm glad, actually, when break ends.

I didn't have fun.

I walk into my dorm and fall face first on my bed and just lay there.

Classes start tomorrow, and I'm looking forward to seeing what we are going to do next.

Oh shit, Finn has my phone.

I sigh and walk out of my dorm and over to Finn's dorm. I knock and then just walk right in. Peeta's already here and so is Bryan.

"Where's Finn?" I ask.

"He went to give you your phone."

"What?" I ask stupidly. We were basically forced to get our phones fixed.

"Yeah he got a new phone. It's pretty cool."

"He got a new phone because we got into a fight and he broke my phone so I took his and tossed it in the garbage disposal."

"Awe, how sweet," He teases. I flip him off and plop down on his bed. "What are you doing?" He asks.

"Well after a while he'll come back. I'm not getting up again, one, because he's coming back and two, because I'm lazy."

"I doubt you're lazy. You're like a twig." Bryan grumbles.

"No, actually, I eat like a pig, but my metabolism is really high."

"Oh..." He frowns.

Finn walks back in the door and looks at me. Then, he sighs and hands me my phone. "Johanna and Annie are back."

"Really?" I ask.

"Yes."

I notice then that my brother looks pale and he looks like he's going to be sick.

"Are you feeling okay?" I ask.

"Cato's looking for you. He's telling everyone that if they've seen you, they need to tell you to find him."

I stand up and stretch, plucking my phone from Finn's fingers.

"Okay."

"Wait, your actually going to meet him?" Bryan asks.

"Yes."

"I'm coming with you." Finn says.

"Let's all go." Bryan agrees.

Peeta even comes, and Finn insists on getting Johanna and Annie.

Cato literally is telling everyone if they see me to tell me. He sounds desperate and I can only imagine what he wants. The girl he's telling points at me and then called him a dumbass and walks away.

Cato spins around. It's snowing out here.

He smiles when he sees me. "Hi." He says, like we're dating. People watch in shock, probably thinking we are actually dating.

I stare at him with a bored expression. "Are you on drugs?"

"No." He frowns.

I let out a long and annoyed sigh. "What do you want?"

"Take me back." He says, and it was loud so everyone in the general vicinity heard.

Johanna snorts and mutters 'horny bastard' under her breath.

I stare at him and act like I'm considering it. "I thought you got straight A's."

"What do you mean?" He asks.

"You're really fucking stupid." I'm getting angry. "I'm not taking you back."

"Why not? I love you."

Oh, that really pisses me off. "No you don't! You love the title! Even if you did actually love me, I still wouldn't take you back! I knew you'd come begging. I don't want you! Don't you get that? You made it pretty clear that you didn't want me when you went having sex with Jen! I don't want you, Cato!"

"Please Kat, I messed up!"

"No."

"Fine!"

He kisses me just then, and before I have a full chance to react, Finn punches him and then Brady does and then Peeta does.

I look at Johanna for help but she's enjoying herself watching Cato get the shit beat out of him.

"Stop!" I shriek, grabbing the back of Finn's shirt and ripping him off, and then Bryan and then Peeta.

Effie Trinket, also known as Mr. Trinket, comes marching over to us. "You seven, come with me."

…..a…..

We all sit in the principal's office, and right now, Snow is on the phone with my Mom.

I know Mom will fight Finn and I's case.

"No ma'am, I do not have any proof that your daughter was engaged in the fist fight, but I did however see in the footage that she did get involved by pulling the boys away from Mr. Harris." He sighs again. "And yes, your son was engaged in the fight and I do have proof, but-" Mom cuts him off again, and he looks irritated. "Well, Cato did indeed kiss you daughter when she made is very clear she didn't want him to. All boys then started to fight." He sighs. "Yes ma'am, they were protecting her. And no, I didn't see Johanna Mason and Annie Cresta involved. Technically, Katniss was only trying to get the boys off of Cato before things got too far out of hand." He sighs for what feels like the umpteenth time. "I understand Mrs. Everdeen, but someone has to get suspended-" I hear Mom's voice rise, and I flinch. "Okay, goodbye Ma'am," He hangs up and sets his phone on the desk. She's the last parent to call. He rests his arms on the desk and leans forward. "This is how I see it," he begins. "Cato was basically harassing you, Katniss, and everyone else by asking to see you. You went to see him to get him to cut it out. You were fighting because he cheated on you and wants you back, which I understand how that feels because I've been through it. Then, Cato, you got angry when she said no and kissed her hoping she would change her mind. Finnick, you being the brother, you lost it because he was taking advantage of your sister in front of you and you punched him. Peeta, Bryan, you being Finnick's friend and Katniss's friends, you helped out Finnick to defend Katniss. Johanna, Annie, you were just there in case Katniss needed you." He clicks his pen on the desk. "So Cato, you're getting in school suspension for three days."

Cato rolls his eyes. "Whatever." He pauses. "Katniss was the one that beat me up."

"What! No I didn't!"

"Enough!" Snow says. "We've already had someone admit who it really was, so Cato, I'm giving you detention too." His eyes flick to Peeta for hardly a millisecond.

"No, Katniss did it, I remember!" Cato insists.

I'm so angry. First, I'm angry because he tried to get me back. Second, I'm angry because he kissed me. Third, I'm angry because I got in trouble for doing absolutely nothing. And forth, now Cato is going to get me suspended.

But still, everyone is shocked when I bury my head in my hands and fight back tears.

"Cato, you got memory loss. You don't remember anything. Miss Everdeen is a very talented, straight A student and I find it very hard to believe that a girl as small as her can do all of what happened to you because you are such a big guy. Nice try though. Now, how about all of you go off to your dorms. ZGet some dinner and get ready for school tomorrow. Miss Everdeen, let's just put this behind us. You're innocent."

"Thank you." I whisper.

**Will you guys do me a favor and follow me on instagram and twitter? **

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	7. Chapter 7

I walk right in the door after dinner and Finn and Bryan. Peeta just sort of walked away, which really upset me because he's so sweet and I just want him to talk. That made my day even worse than it really is.

I put my life proof case on my phone and got a pair of sweatpants, panties, a yellow spaghetti strap, a white Abercrombie jacket and socks and go into the bathroom. I take my phone with my n there, and I sit down on the cold stone floor of the shower and pull my knees to my chest and just watch the water go down the drain. I start the song Finn sang for his concert, Vienna, by Billy Joel, the one from thirteen going on thirty with is one of my favorite movies.

_Slow down you crazy child_

_You're so ambitious for a juvenile_

_But then if you're so smart tell me,_

_Why are you still so afraid? (mmmmm)_

I hum along and wash my hair sitting down and let it drizzle with the water down the drain. I stand up and wash my body, and my favorite part comes and I start singing through the rest of the song.

_Slow down you're doing fine_

_You can't be everything you want to be before your time_

_Although it's so romantic on the borderline tonight (tonight)_

_Too bad, but it's the life you lead_

_You're so ahead of yourself that you forgot what you need_

_Though you can see when you're wrong_

_You know you can't always see when you're right (you're right)_

_You got your passion, you got your pride_

_But don't you know that only fools are satisfied?_

_Dream on, but don't imagine they'll all come true (Oooh)_

_When will you realize... Vienna waits for you?_

_Slow down you crazy child_

_Take the phone off the hook and disappear for a while_

_It's alright, you can afford to lose a day or two (oooh)_

_When will you realize... Vienna waits for you?_

_And you know that when the truth is told_

_That you can get what you want or you can just get old_

_You're gonna kick off before you even get halfway through (oooh)_

_Why don't you realize... Vienna waits for you?_

_When will you realize... Vienna waits for you?_

I shut the music and the water off, and then I sit there until I'm shivering violently because it's snowing outside. I get up and pull my clothes on. The sun is down when I come out and Finn and Bryan left. I sit on my bed.

"Today was fucked up." Johanna grumbles.

"Agreed," I mumble.

"Can I ask you something? Promise you won't get mad?" Annie asks.

"Go ahead." I reply.

"Why do you talk to Peeta? He never says anything. He seems boring."

"He's sweet though, and I relate to him."

"How do you know if he's never spoken to you?" Jo asks.

"I just do." I insist.

She sighs. "Okay then."

"Katniss?" Annie whispers. "Do you like Peeta?"

"Yeah, do you?" Johanna asks. "Because Finnick thinks you do."

I let out a long breath of air. "I'm not really sure, exactly. I mean..." I bite my lip. He is really attractive. "He's cute...but I don't really know him."

"And you never will, because he doesn't talk." Johanna says bitterly.

"I'm going to get him to talk. I used to be just like him. I'll get him to at least say one word. That's my goal this year. To get Peeta Mellark to talk to me," Then I roll over, pull the blankets over my head and drift off to sleep.

...&...

"Okay," Cinna begins. "We have the Christmas break coming. That means we have three weeks to prepare a show. You guys are in groups again." Cato looks at me and I look away. I want nothing to do with him and I don't know what it's going to take to get that in his almost non-existent mind. "And you're not picking them." Everyone groans but me. I like getting put into groups. It's an opportunity to make friends.

"Okay," he begins. He begins down the list. "Katniss Everdeen." He pauses and looks at me, and I can tell from the look in his eyes that he's paring me with whoever it is on purpose. "Peeta Mellark." Then he continues down the list. Finn looks at me with a smirk and I ignore him. I'm happy, really. "Finnick Odair, Rebecca Grant." He finishes the last and says "Now, the theme is obviously happy. You guys can pick any love song that is school appropriate, and any Christmas song that is school appropriate. You will be dancing too, dancing together, hence the reason its boy girl boy girl. When you choose the song come see me and I will tell you if it's okay or not. Now...get to work!"

I get up and take the empty seat next to Peeta. I didn't even realize he was in this class until Cinna said his name.

He doesn't say a word, as usual. He simply pulls out his notebook and writes; _you don't want to work with me. _

I frown. "Yes I do." Then, he starts writing again.

_No you don't. I'm a loner. I don't talk. I'm not interesting. A girl like you does not need a loser like me in her life. I'm a burden and I'm just damaging your reputation. Go after for a partner change. I don't want to be your partner. _

"Peeta, I don't care if you don't want to work with me. Before this school year ends I will get you to talk. You aren't a loner, you are interesting and I want you in my life more than you'll ever know. I don't have a reputation just because everyone knows my fucking name. I'm not asking for a partner change."

He looks angry as he writes, pressing hard enough that he switches to pen because he broke his pencil, _well then I'll just ask for a partner change_.

"Peeta-" he walks away.

I sigh and slump down in my chair. I watch as Cinna reads what Peeta and shakes his head. Peeta comes back, looking a little too pissed off.

Then he writes, _fine_.

Then the bell rings, and he's the first one out of the classroom.


	8. Chapter 8

Okay, alright, fine, I'll admit it; I have a major crush on Peeta. He's so cute and nice and sweet and funny and his smile and laugh just makes my insides get all warm and fuzzy.

But he still won't talk.

And it's pissing me off.

And I woke up after dreaming of him actually speaking to me, only his voice was my voice, and all he said was "I bet you wish I would talk to you" and then he laughs and muttered "it's never going to happen."

The room is filled with light, and even though it's Saturday, my lazy day, I get up, shower, brush my teeth and get dressed and walk out. Johanna and Annie aren't here, which means they're at Finn's.

I storm over there, because I've kept all the emotions bubbled up inside and I'm going to explode.

I walk into the room, my face flushed in anger. Finn follows my daggers to Peeta. Peeta looks alarmed.

"Let's get coffee!" Johanna blurts, and then Ann, Jo, Bryan and Finn leave.

I know they're going to eavesdrop with their ears on the door, so when they shut the door, I count to sixty in my head and then hit the door really hard. "Get the fuck away from the door!"

I hear then groaning, and then I open the door and they leave. I slam it and turn back to Peeta. "We need to talk. Or I need to talk." I cross my arms. He eyes the notebook. "Don't." he arches his eyebrows. "Don't touch the book, okay? Just…" I don't know how to say this. Our performance is literally ion three days.

I came up with the song. I came up with the dance moves.

And he just stayed silent.

"I don't…I don't know what your backstory is, but I've told you a trillion times that I'm here to listen! All I ever get from you is a laugh or a smile! I don't ever hear you talk!" He sighs and shakes his head. "I'm not making fun of you, so don't misunderstand me, I'm just…" god, how do I say this? Do I just come right out with it and tell him I like him, maybe even love him?

I think of the conversation I had with Mom last night.

"_Mom I think I like Peeta, maybe even love, but he won't speak to anyone." _

"_Katniss…" she sighs. "I think you should just tell him how you feel. See what he says."_

"_You mean tell him I like him?" I ask._

"_Yes and how you feel with the notebook thing." _

"_Okay." _

"Dammit Peeta, you're making this so fucking complicated." He still doesn't say anything, and I'm so upset about this I'm about to cry. "Why don't you talk?" I blurt. "Is it family issues? Are you like…" I bite my lip. "Are you mute? Like are you not able to talk? Are you blind? Do you just not talk because you choose not to?" He holds up one finger. "The first one?" I ask. He looks down and nods. "Family issues," I sigh. "We have so much in common."

He shakes his head. "Peeta, are you forgetting that I used to be exactly like you?" He sighs again. "Look," I shut my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose and then drop down on Finn's bed. "I respect it if you don't want to tell me…but…I get everyone bullies you, but I'm not like them. I won't bully you. Please…" He starts shaking his head like crazy. "Will you get angry if I guess what happened?" I ask. He shakes his head. "Will you be honest if I guess the right one?" he nods. "Okay…" I bite my lip. "Are your parents divorced?" he nods. "Do you live with your Mom?" he nods again. "Do you keep in touch with your Dad?" he shakes his head. "Is your Dad alive?" he shrugs. "Do you hate your Dad?" he shakes his head like crazy. "Do you hate your Mom?" he nods insanely. "Do you have any brothers?" I ask. He nods. "How many?" he holds up two fingers. "Do you have any sisters?" he nods and then shakes his head, and then looks upset and frustrated. "Did you _have_ a sister?" he nods. "Is she dead?" he hesitates and then nods. "Did she commit suicide?" he frowns and seems to consider it. Then he shakes his head. "Was she murdered?" he shakes his head. "How'd she die?" he frowns and holds up one finger. "She did commit suicide?" he nods. "Why'd you tell me no then?" he shrugs. "Is that all?" he shakes his head. "Are you living alone with your mother?" he puts up a hand and holds up two fingers and draws an s. "Two?" I ask. He nods. "Two…two sisters?" he nods. "And one of them is dead?" he nods. "The older one is dead?" he nods. "Are they both older?" he nods again. "How many brothers do you have?" he holds up three fingers. "Older?" he nods and points down. "One is younger?" he nods. "Okay, do you live alone with your mother?" he nods. "Does everyone else live with your Dad?" he shakes his head. "Who doesn't live with your Dad?" he points down. "Your little brother?" he nods. "Is he alive?" he nods. "Was he put up for adoption?" I ask. He makes a kind of sign with his hand. "He lives with another family member?" I ask. He nods. "Does your mother treat you nicely?" he shakes his head. "She yells?" he nods. "Does she…" I swallow nervously. "Does she hit you?" he nods. "She's abusive?" he nods again. "Enough to put you in the hospital?" he nods again, and points up. "Enough to kill you?" he looks down and nods again. "Is that why you don't talk?" he nods again, and I feel an overwhelming sense of hatred for his mother. "Do you want to live with your Dad?" I whisper. He buries his head in his hands and nods. I lean forward on Finn's bed. "I'll make you a deal." He looks at me, and his eyes are red rimmed. "You tell me your father's name with your voice, and I'll find him for you."

He stares at me for the longest time, and starts to shake his head, and then looks down at his hands, and back up at me and then down at his hands again. Then, he looks back up at me, and his voice is barely above a whisper when he says, "It's Daniel Alexander Mellark."


	9. Chapter 9

My Dad and sister and step mom and step siblings and my grandmother and my uncle are all here for Christmas. It's Christmas Eve, and I'm working my ass off to find Peeta's Dad.

Oh, Finnick's Mom and little sister are here, too. They're actually really sweet. I've explained the entire situation with Peeta's Dad.

I've searched almost everything. Finn sits down next to me. "Are you seriously still looking for his Dad?" he asks.

"Yes." I snap. "Is that a problem with you?"

"It's…" he sighs. "Don't get pissed but it's stupid. You know nothing about him except his name."

We've just finished Christmas Eve dinner, and Isabella, Finn's mother, wiping a pan off with a towel says, "Oh, come on Finnick, I think its sweet she's trying to help out a friend."

I try one more thing on Google before giving up.

I pretend to be Peeta and Google _how can I find my father when all I've got is his full name? _

I sigh when I get nothing, but I see Yahoo answers and I click on that. People warn the person who asked the question not to do it, saying they might be rejected. I ignore.

One says, _Try googling his name._

"God dammit!" I say, thinking it was under my breath when it was actually out loud.

"Excuse me?" Dad asks strictly.

"Sorry…I didn't mean to say that loud enough for you guys to hear." He sighs and says nothing. I go to Google's home page and type in _Daniel Alexander Mellark_.

Finn and I search through the 2,371 pages and find nothing, and then we search through the tons of images and find nothing.

"Maybe he goes by Daniel Mellark." Mom suggests.

I try that, and still, nothing.

"Danny?" Dad asks. "A lot of Daniels go by Danny."

I try that, too, and still, nothing.

"You know…" Lisa, my step Mom says. "Katie goes by her middle name, search Alexander Mellark."

I don't find anything.

I'm move to the X when Prim says, "You should try Alex Mellark."

I try that, and I come up with a Facebook page. I click on it and hold my breath. "Well shit," Finn says.

This man has blond hair and blue eyes just like Peeta. His last post was eleven minutes ago, that says _Really wishing I could see all of my kids for the holidays. I'll tough it out. Someday, hopefully. God bless you all! _

The post before that says _tomorrow the kids are I have decided to take our gifts to the cemetery and open them with their sister, my daughter, Cress!_

"Before you do anything rash," Mom says over my shoulder. I didn't realize everyone was crowding around me until I jump because Mom's so close. "Try and see if Peeta has a Facebook."

I open Facebook in another tap and search his name and get nothing.

"Doesn't surprise me, he's sort of a loner." Finn says. I shoot him a glare and he shrugs. "Sorry but its true."

"Alright Katniss," Dad says. "Call him."

"What?" Mom asks. "No, he could be anyone-"

"I'm calling him." I say.

"Katniss, let's think this out here-"

"Mom I promised Peeta I'd find his Dad. I've been looking nonstop for a week tomorrow. I've finally found what I'm looking for." I go to _about_ and go to _contact info_ and see his number.

_(225) 238-2390_

"Please honey-" Mom tries again.

"Lillian, we're all right here. She's safe." Dad says calmly. Mom sighs and gives up.

I dial his number and wait, tapping my fingers on the back of my phone.

Finn snorts and mutters incoherent words when I start to pace.

The ringing stops. "Hello?" a man asks. He sounds as old as my father.

"Yes hi, is this Daniel Mellark?" I ask. I'm nervous, because I don't like talking on the phone to people that aren't in my contacts. When I get a call from a number I don't know, I make Mom or Shane answer, if if I'm at school I make Jo answer, and I I'm alone ki ignore.

"Yes this is, may I ask who's speaking?"

"Um…" I bite my lip. "Do you know Peeta Mellark?"

"Who's on the phone Dad? Who asked about Peeta?" another boy in the background asks.

"Yes, that's my son. Who is this?"

"Well um…I'm Peeta's friend. We go to school together."

He's silent for a long time. "So you know Peeta?" he asks.

"Yes."

He lets out a long and relived sigh. "How is he?" he asks.

"He's…he doesn't talk."

The man laughs. "Peeta not talking, oh, that's really funny. Really though, how is he?"

"No sir…I'm serious. He doesn't talk. I'm his only friend and he's only told me your name. I told him I'd find you. His Mom is…" I hesitate. "She's abusive. He said she beats him. He hates her. He said that his little brother lives with a relative and that one of his sisters is dead. He said that you and his Mom are divorced. He's depressed. He won't even speak to teachers. I asked if he hated you and he said no."

"Wait, he's depressed? Elena _beats_ him? What? Are you kidding? Is this a joke?"

"No I'm not kidding. He lives alone with her and from what I hear, she's…and pardon my language, but she's a bitch. he dreads going on break. I don't even think they celebrate the holidays."

"Whoa, what a second," he says. "What's your name?"

I don't say anything. "Does it matter?"

He laughs. "I'm not a pedophile. Just tell me your first name so I can address you properly."

"Fine, it's Katniss."

"So…my son is getting beaten?" he asks.

"What?" another boy in the background asks. "Who is that on the phone?"

"Dad let me talk to her!" a girl insists.

"Al of you stop please, I'm on the phone." He says patiently. "Katniss, I need you to get me in contact with Peeta. Where does he live?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know? I thought you went to school together."

"We do, we go to a performing arts school in upstate Michigan. I don't have his number or anything. As I said, he doesn't talk."

He's silent for a very long time. "What is the name of your school?"

"Interlochen Center for the Arts." I reply.

"What day do you go back to school?" he demands.

"Um…hang on just one second." I pull the phone away from my ear. "What day do we go back to school on?"

"The sixth," Mom says.

"We go back to school on the sixth of January."

"And Peeta will be there, yes?" he asks.

"Yes."

"And you can get in contact with him at school?" he asks.

"Yes, he is my step-brother's roommate."

"Well Katniss," he begins. "If I keep in contact with you, will you bring me to my son?"

"Um…"

"I mean, I'll come to the school and you like…lets surprise him."

"Wait…when you like…when you get your son back…you'll get him away from the monster, right?"

"I never wanted him with her in the first place." He says.

"Okay." I mumble.

"Okay Katniss, I will see you on the sixth of January." He says.

"Okay, bye."

"Oh, and Katniss?" he asks.

"Yes?"

"Thank you for helping me find my boy. I really appreciate it."

"No problem." I hang up.


	10. Chapter 10

**Let's all be realistic for a second. **

**This is me we're talking about. We always need some drama with Katniss 3**

I stop by my dorm on the sixth of January and then go to Finn's to help 'unpack.'

Peeta's being quieter than usual, and I know it's because of his Mom.

"Hey," I sit down next to him and nudge my shoulder against him. "Okay?" He nods.

Mr. Mellark and I formed a plan last night. He's bringing Peeta's siblings, too. I am to come to Finn's dorm, and then he'll text me using start 67 and just say 'hi' and then I'll gasp like I realized something and ask Peeta to come with me to ask Cinna how we did on the performance, and since Cinna's room is right by the entrance, his family will be there, and I will casually say 'those people look a lot like you' and he'll see them, and they'll meet up, Mr. Mellark will take Peeta and his younger brother to court and gain custody of not only Peeta, but his younger brother too, and then they will go from there.

I get a text just then.

Unknown: _hi_

Everyone in the room knows of the plan. I nudge Peeta again. "We need to go and see how we did on that performance thing." He looks at me. "Will you come with me to Cinna's?"

He nods and stands up. I stand up too, and we walk side by side out of the room.

We start walking along campus and I stuff my frigid hands in my pockets. He looks at the shocked and staring eyes and sighs. I can see a group of blonds now, and they see us right when I see them. Peeta isn't paying any attention to me; he's focusing on the ground. I smirk and look down. "Hey, you know something?" I ask. His eyes snap up to meet mine and he raises his eyebrows. "Those people look a lot like you, don't you think?" he frowns and follows my eyes. His whole face pales, and his jaw drops open, and then he looks at me and starts shaking his head and then looks back at them and then at me again. He doesn't know what to say.

"I didn't think you meant it when you said you would find them!" he says.

"Are you happy?" I ask.

"Yes, I just…I could like…I could…"

"Could?" my grin is spreading. "Could what?"

"Hi Katniss," I girl says.

"Hi," I wave and look back at Peeta. "Could what?" I ask.

"I just…"

"Just show me."

He kisses me.

I completely freeze up, but then I kiss him back. It doesn't last very long. He pulls away, and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. "I could kiss you."

He turns around and runs to his family. I watch awkwardly, and I must be blushing like crazy. He's talking so quickly and I read his lips. Mr. Mellark explains everything. One of Peeta's brothers elbows him in the ribs and says, clearly loud enough for me to hear "Are you fucking her? You should be. She's sexy as fuck." I dart my eyes down and trace the snow with the toe of my boot. I hear Peeta say no, and that he's said two words to me, and then his Dad gets all serious and emotional. Then Peeta nods and walks over to me.

"I don't know when I will see you again, but I will, I promise. I'll see you around, okay?"

"Okay."

He kisses my forehead and mumbles a thank you, and then they leave.

"How cute," Cato hisses behind me. I spin around.

"Leave me alone, Cato." I snap.

"No. You leave me for him?"

"I left you because you're a cheater. Go away." I'm trying to keep my voice down, but I people stop walking.

"No, because I don't want to and I can stand wherever I want."

"Get away from me." I hiss. He laughs.

"No." he smirks.

"Yes. Please, just go away."

"No."

"Yes. Go away."

He reaches out, and he grabs my boobs.

Cato's huge, and he could kill me, but I don't care.

I knee him in the dick and he falls. I hear a commotion and then someone who witnessed the whole thing runs, shouting something about "Someone go get Finnick!" and then someone else says to find a teacher.

Cato knocks me down and hovers on all four above me, pinning me very hard to the icy ground. "I'll fucking kill you. I hate you. You're a bitch. You're a whore. You're a little asshole. You better watch who you mess with. You made me lose my scholarship at USF. Now I'm going to kill you." Everyone is in too much shock to do something, but he punches me in the stomach and knocks the wind completely out of me. I don't let the fear show. "But I'm going to rape you first, right here in front of everyone." I hear people screaming and girls crying, but everyone that has the ability to help me is just frozen. "You won't be missed anyways."

He starts beating the absolute shit out of me. I think he starts ripping my clothes off. I hear screaming. I hear shouting. I know I'm only in my underwear right now, but I can't move.

FINN'S POV

"Do you guys hear that screaming?" Johanna asks. My dorm isn't very far from the front of the school. There's people sobbing and screaming but nobody is even moving, it's like they're frozen from shock or paralyzed or something.

"HELP!" a girl screams. Then some girl I don't know walks right into the room, hysterical. "Cato!" she says, gasping. "Cato-got-her! She isn't m-moving and he's g-gonna rape her!"

Katniss.

I run. I shove that girl out of my way and run. "MOVE! I shout. "GET THE FUCK OUT OF THE WAY!"

Teachers are coming.

I freeze. She's in nothing but her underwear and she's bleeding and he must've broken her arm.

I'm still in my boxers but I don't even care. I run for Cato and knock him off of her.

"YOU LITTLE BITCH!" I shout. Sirens blare, and the gym coach rips me off of Cato. Katniss is covered in a towel and she isn't moving. Bryan is on the phone. "Lily Katniss just got the shit beat out of her by Cato se he almost raped her and she was in her underwear and she's unconscious and her heart beat is really slow and she's having a lot of trouble breathing!"


	11. Chapter 11

KATNISS'S POV

The pain is the first thing I notice. It's not so much in my legs, but my stomach hurts so badly. I think my arm is in a cast, and when I try to move it, it's just stuck and it hurts. My wrist on my left hand hurts, maybe just another bruise. My face aches, but my nose is fine, too.

When I open my eyes, everything is black at first. I blink a few times though, and I can hear whispers. My vision goes from black to black and white pixels and then things slowly start to come into view. I realize there is a beep, my heart monitor maybe? I see the sterile ceiling and everything.

I'm in the hospital. Who called the police?

I look around, and Mom is here with Shane, and Finn, and Peeta and Mr. Mellark, oh, and Johanna and Annie and Dad and Prim, and my stepmom and the step siblings.

I'm confused at first, and my memory comes flooding back.

_"I'll fucking kill you. I hate you. You're a bitch. You're a whore. You're a little asshole. You better watch who you mess with. You made me lose my scholarship at USF. Now I'm going to kill you."_

I remember him punching me in the stomach and knocking all the wind out of me. Everyone didn't do anything. I remember I refused to let my fear show. _"But I'm going to rape you first, right here in front of everyone."_

Oh my god. Did he rape me? "He didn't rape you." Peeta says before I even ask, or maybe I did. I don't know, I just know I'm out of it. "I had forgotten my coat. I came back and the first thing I saw was Cato bleeding very badly on the ground and you being lifted onto a gurney. You were covered with a towel because you were in nothing but your underwear."

I sigh and sit back. "God, I hate him so much."

"Me too," Finn says. "He's in a coma though."

"He is?"

"Yeah, We heard screaming and some girl showed up and told us you weren't moving and all that and I ran and I completely lost it and I was shouting at him and beating the shut out of him. The gym coach had to pull me off. I think I would have killed him if he didn't."

"How long am I here? I want to leave right now. I hate hospitals."

"I don't know. Let's call the nurse in." Mom moves to go walk out the room but I pull the heart monitor off.

"Kitty!" Finn starts laughing. A whole flood of nurses come running in.

They seem angry but they don't say a word. All but one leave and the one here puts the heart monitor back on my finger.

"I don't want that on. The beeping is annoying."

"You remind me of my daughter. She's your age, too."

"I don't want that on." I repeat.

"You have to." She says.

"No, I feel well actually, I think I can leave now." I start to get up, but she gently pushes me down again.

"You can't leave yet."

….a….

I got discharged today, and I'm not going back to school until I look completely like myself again. Mom and Shane will be working all the time, so I will be staying with Dad in Florida.

That's where I am now, actually, in Florida. Prim's at school and so are my step-siblings. Lisa is working but Dad's home. I'm doing schoolwork on the computer.

When I said goodbye to Johanna and Annie and Peeta and Finn, I cried. I told them not to tell anyone anything about me. Not about how I'm doing or if I'm alive or not.

Because quite frankly, it's none of their damn business how I'm doing.

I send in my math homework and shut the lid to my laptop.

"Hey squirt," Dad says. "Are you hungry?"

"Yeah a little bit," I reply.

"Okay, I'm going to go get something, do you want anything from Taco Bell?"

"A nacho bell grande with a baha blast please."

"Alright," he walks out.

I rub in between Mollie's ears. She's a puppy and she's an adorable boxer. She's brown and white.

I'm choosing when to go back to school. I don't want to go back until I look like me again, and that could take up to six months.

I can only hope it doesn't take that long.


	12. Chapter 12

A week later, my face is back to normal because the bruises are gone, and so is my stomach. My arm is still broken though. I get up and put the puppy on a leash. Dad lives right down the street from Eagle Lake Park, and I can't stand being in the house. I'm stir crazy. I make a snack and put it in a basket I find in the garage, and I put in two water bottles, some dog treats, and a bowl.

"Dad?" I shout. He comes downstairs.

"Yeah squirt?"

"I'm going to the park."

He hesitates. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I need to get out."

"Okay, have a good time." He says. "Call me if anything happens."

"Okay."

I take Mollie and my basket and get a sheet from the closet and I leave.

When I get to the park, I sit lay out the sheet, give Mollie some water and some treats and unhook her and let her walk around. I eat, and keep a careful eye on her.

"Here," a lady says. "You can use this for your dog." She seems like she knows me, but I've never seen her.

Then I remember that I was on the news.

She doesn't say anything else. Even when I thank her, she just nods and walks away. I play fetch with Mollie, and then she gets tired and lies down on my sheet. I lay with her and use her tummy as a pillow.

I'm almost asleep when my phone starts ringing.

My heart speeds up because it's Finn and I miss him to fucking much. I miss all of my friends. I press answer. "Hello?"

"Kitty!" Finn says.

"Hey," I smile to myself.

"How are you feeling?"

"Uh…well the bruises are gone. All I've got is the cast."

"So, I've got really bad news and Lily told me not to tell, but I'm going to anyways."

"Okay, what is it?"

"Well, Cato woke from his coma, and the school is letting him come back."

"What?" I ask.

"Don't worry though Brainless," Johanna says, and I know I'm on speaker phone. "He won't come near you."

I'm terrified of Cato Harris. I'm…I don't know how I'll react when I see him again.

"If he looks at you I'll kick his ass, I promise." Peeta says.

I laugh softly. "Nah, I think I'll be fine." I say. "I have a feeling the teachers are going to be like hawks and watching me at all times. I know Mom'll call the school screaming at them and all and they'll like get me bodyguards." I laugh. "Not really, but you guys get it."

"Actually Kitty," Finn says. "Lily doesn't even want you going back to school because of Cato."

"Well she can suck a dick, because I'm going to come back." I pause. "And I'm going to act like Cato doesn't scare the shit out of me."

"Cato's a little pussy. He's an asshole. He'll never lay a finger on you because right when he got to school I walked up to him and punched him in the face and told him if he ever did so much as look at you ever again I would kill him. The teachers didn't even tell me not to. You have no idea how many people I've seen slap him for what he did to you. Everything thinks you died because we didn't tell anyone. Well…we told Cinna."

"No, you told Cinna, I told you Katniss was going to be mad at you." Peeta says.

"And I told you she could suck your dick because she wants to anyways."

Peeta's quiet. "You never said that." He says.

"Well it's true, isn't it, kitty?" Finn asks.

Honestly, yes, it is true, because I've got it bad for Peeta Mellark, but I don't want to tell him that. It just seems like…too forward. "Kitty? It's true, isn't it?"

"Well…" damn you, Finn. "It's not wrong…" I bite my lip so hard I almost draw blood. I hear dead silence on the other line, and then Johanna starts cackling. "Bye!" I hang up.


	13. Chapter 13

**Everyone go read mockingjmellark1210's first**__**story!**

"Lisa?" I ask. Prim and she are the only ones awake.

"Yeah honey?" she asks. One thing I love about Lisa is she treats me like her own. At Mom's, Shane acts like I'm only his step kid. Lisa treats me like a daughter. I've grown very comfortable with her over the month I've been here.

"Can I ask you two more advice?" I ask, twirling my cell phone in my fingers.

"Sure." Lisa says, and Prim nods.

"Okay, so you guys know Peeta." I sit down in Dad's recliner and tuck my feet beneath me.

"Yes." She says.

"Well…" I let out a long sigh. "On that Monday after I'd been here for a week, I was on the phone with Finn and um…I was on speaker and Peeta was there and we were talking about how I'm afraid of Cato and all that and Finn said they told Cinna everything about how I'm doing. Peeta said '"No, you told Cinna, I told you Katniss was going to be mad at you."' And Finn said '"And I told you she could suck your dick because she wants to anyways."' And Peeta said "'You never said that."' And Finn said '"Well it's true, Kitty, isn't it?"' and then I didn't know what to say because I really like him and like an idiot I said '"Well he's not wrong."' And then they got all silent so I panicked and hung up! What do I do?"

Prim snickers and Lisa shoots her a look. "You realize you basically told Peeta you want to suck him off, right?" Prim asks.

"I know…"

"Well do you?" Lisa asks, and we laugh because it sounds like such a normal question.

"I don't know! I know I really like him and um…I wouldn't mind it."

Prim looks like she's going to explode. Her entire body is shaking with hysterical laughter.

"Okay," Lisa says. "First of all, that was like three weeks ago. Have you spoken to them since then?"

"I've talked to everyone. Peeta and I…gosh, it was so awkward."

"Katniss I think you should just let him bring it up and if he doesn't, then don't." Prim says.

"I disagree. I think you need to just tell him how you feel about him." Lisa says.

""He knows."

"You've physically came right out and said: Peeta, I like you?" prim asks.

"Well, no but…we kissed, or he kissed me, and I didn't push him away."

"Well he still could not know." Lisa says. "Just tell him."

"Tell him over the phone?"

"No, no, wait until your with him in person." She says.

"What do I do until then?"

"Act like you never said it. Act natural." Lisa advises.

"I can't. Johanna will bring it up."

"Well you need to talk to Johanna." Prim says.

"But I'm afraid she'll say she won't say anything and then do it anyways. Johanna is complicated. If you tell her not to do something, she'll do it, but sometimes if you don't say anything she won't do it. I'm afraid if I tell her she'll do it, but if I don't, she'll probably still do it."

"Well…if she does it, just like…tell her that it's none of her business."


	14. Chapter 14

"Katniss," Mom tucks a strand of hair behind my ear and sighs, looking fearful. We're standing in the school entranceway. None of my friends or anyone actually, except the teachers, knows I'm coming back. Well my family obviously knows, but Finn doesn't. I haven't been spotted yet, and I really don't want to be. The last thing I want is to run into Cato.

Mom called the school like Finn said, but she did it again, screaming at them. It turns out Cato's family is like deathly rich and they are co-owners of the school.

So it only makes sense that their son didn't get kicked out.

As for the jail thing, they bailed him out.

They're all bastards.

It's March and the snow has stopped. I'm in a black tank top with a white flowing half shirt over it, and my hair is braided, like always except holidays, and I have on short shorts and skin colored flats. I'm completely healed. The cast is off and we go on spring break in like three weeks or something like that.

"Katniss, are you even listening to me?" Mom asks. I look at her, not even realizing she was talking.

"Sorry, what did you say?"

"I said that if anything happens I want you to call me. I don't care what it is. I'm pissed off your coming back here anyways, with that asshole here. You need to be smart. Don't let him push you around. He'll never hurt you again."

"Okay." I whisper. I'm very nervous and I feel like I'm going to throw up.

"Don't be nervous." She whispers. "I love you." She hugs me for a long time. "Please be careful."

**OMFG exciting isn't it!**

"I love you too, Mom. I'll see you for spring break."

"Okay." She kisses my cheek. "Go on." She nods at the school. The gates are open enough for me to come in, but nobody seems to notice. "Go right to your dorm, or Finnick's or whatever."

"Okay." I swallow the bile in my throat.

"It's okay." She nudges me. "Go on."

I turn around and walk into the school. I whip around to face my mother because I'm so scared. "Mom." I whisper.

"It's alright honey." She says. "Don't be afraid. Don't let your fear show. Fear is weakness, and you my darling, are not weak."

I nod.

She's right. Fear is weakness, and I'm not weak.

I turn around and start to walk again.

I keep my head down though, and I hear soft gasps and then a girl squeals, "She's alive!'

"No, that can't possibly be Katniss." Her friend says.

"That's her, I'm telling you it is! Her hair is the same color and in the braid and all! That's her Julia! I'm serious!"

"Maybe it is her." The other girl says.

"I'm going to ask her what happened and how she is."

"No, leave her alone."

I don't hear the rest, I just keep on walking.

Someone runs into me, and I snap my head up and fear overtakes me, but I don't show it. "Hello." He says.

Cato.

"It's very unfortunate you lived." He says. He takes one step closer to me, and I take one step back.

I really don't want him in the same planet at me. He scares me. He trails his hand up my arm. "Suppose I should finish you off?" he smirks. I take another step back, and people are staring and I know I'm on my own again because everyone is in shock. He takes a step forward, I take a step back, and then I shove him and run. "Hey you bitch! Get back here!" he begins to chase me.

I know for a fact that the boys and the girls won't be in my dorm, they'll be in the boy's dorm. I run right past my dorm. Finn had told me they put locks on the dorms so now you need your key every single time you go into your room because the door locks automatically so people can't just walk in.

I can only hope they're in there because if I can't get in their room I get stuck in a dead end.

I come up to their door and start hitting it and jiggling the doorknob. Cato is like five feet from me when I door is ripped open. I shove past Peeta and slam it shut.

"Fuck. Fuck, he's such a fucking dickwad. He's such a cunt. I hate him! I hate him so much!"

"I can hear you!" Cato snaps.

"Go burn in hell you dick!" Finn appears to be angry. Peeta puts his hand on my back and sits me down on his bed, and Finn walks out the door and pins Cato against the wall.

"What the fuck did I tell you? Huh? You're a cunt!"

"Get off of me!"

Finn knees him in the balls, and when he drops to his knees, he punches him very hard in the stomach. "You stay away from my sister!"

Finn walks back into the room and slams the door.

Then, he looks at me and grins. "Some here and give bubba a hug!"

"Your disgusting!" I laugh, but I hug him anyways.

After we all hug hello, Peeta and I's hug lasting, I sit back down on Peeta's bed.

"So how'd you get Lily to let you come here?" Finn asks. "She tried to get me out of school here too. She went as far and calling all of their mothers." He points at our friends. "And tried to talk them out of letting them stay. Dad and Lily got into a fight over it. Dad was telling her that you were staying at school and your Mom said that you're her daughter and he can't micromanage her and that she's going to do what's best for her daughter. How'd you do it?"

"Well…I got the cast off and I went home, and I told Mom I was ready to go back to school and she like immediately started saying about how good of a school that Northwood was."

"That's a terrible school." Finn says.

"I know, anyways, I told her to cut the shit. We got into a really bad fight and I said 'you can suck a dick. I'm going back to school even if I have to walk' and said told me to start walking because she obviously thought I would do it. I started walking. I got to like halfway to the school when Mom picked me up. She started driving home and when we stopped at a light I got out and started walking again. She picked me up after a lot of convincing and took me here and she cried in the car and all that."

"Well I'm glad your back." Annie says. Peeta's phone starts ringing beside me.

"It's your Dad." I hand it to him. He got an iPhone instead of that shitty flip phone, his clothes aren't worn hand-me-downs.

"Hello?" he asks. "Yeah she is." He looks at me. "She's fine." he pauses. "Dad I'm not lying." He sighs. "Do you want to talk to her?" he pauses. "Okay." He seems to be listening. "Fiji?" he repeats, his eyes widening. "Dad, that's really expensive. Bill Gates would be able to afford it, but not us." He sighs. "Are you sure?" he pauses. "Oh, I don't know about that." He smirks. "I get that. Tell Rye to shut the hell up." he pauses again. "She's going to say no." I look away. "Fine, I'll ask, but she's going to say no. That's how she works. I'm not asking her right now though. She just got back." He laughs. "Rye shut the fuck up." he laughs again. "Okay bye." He hangs up.

"Ask me what?" I demand.

"I'll ask you later." He says.

"Well I'm starving. Let's go to lunch." Johanna says.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm not hungry because Mom stopped for food."

'Yeah, I just ate like an hour ago." Peeta says.

Everyone decides to leave, and Finn pauses. "I think I'm going to stay."

"Your sister isn't a baby. You said you trust Peeta. Stop being such a pussy and come on." Johanna says.

The door slams behind them.

"Tell me what?" I demand, laying down and putting my legs on his lap.

"Nothing." He says. "We have a concert on Friday." I sit up so quickly that I dig my heel into his dick and he flinches.

"Sorry! God, I'm so sorry!" He puts his hands on my shoulders.

"It's okay." He whispers. I stare at him and he stares back. "I've missed you. I've missed you a lot."

"I've missed you too." I look down at my hands and then lay back down. He lies next to me and rolls over to his side and props his head up and watches me for a while. "I'm supposed to tell you something but I'm terrible with words and I'm nervous it will ruin everything."

"I have to tell you something, too. I've known for a while and I was just afraid it would ruin everything." He hesitates. "Everything being us." He lifts his hand like he's going to touch my face, but then he drops it and sighs. "You go first."

I laugh softly. "No, you go first."

"Ladies first." He grins.

"Which is why you need to go first."

"Hey!" he pushes my shoulder lightly, and then grins and sighs again. "No matter what comes out of my mouth, we put the awkwardness past and move on."

"Deal." I reply. "Now tell me. Oh, and you can touch me. I know you were going to. You can touch me anywhere."

I don't miss the way his eyes get a tiny bit darker and the way they widen slightly and dart down to my boobs and my genital area. Then he looks into my eyes. "It's okay."

"Peeta," I begin.

"It's okay. Really, it is!" he insists.

"Now tell me." I insist. He mutters something. "What?" I ask.

"I said you are the most beautiful person. You don't even know. You are radiant. You are so beautiful. Katniss, I think I'm falling in love with you." He watches me for a moment. "I think I'm falling in love with you." He sits up. "I want to buy you flowers and chocolate. I want to dance with you when the lights are out when the music isn't playing. I want you to be the mother of my children. Katniss, I'm in love with you. I'm in love with you and I would take a bullet for you."


	15. Chapter 15

Ever since Mom and dad divorced I've gotten it engraved in my brain that love is only in the movies. That boys don't love properly, and every "love" ends in disaster.

But I know right this second that I was wrong.

Peeta loves me, and I love him too. We are in love.

I don't know how to answer though, and i'm scared of how he will react.

So I stand up.

He panics.

"I'm sorry!" I gasp. "I need to go."

"Katniss," he stands up. "Don't go. Please don't go!"

"I don't hate you Peeta, I swear!"

"Don't leave." He begs.

"I just need to think!"

"Katniss please!"

I kiss him right on the lips. It's hardly anything. "I need to think." I whisper. He looks like he's in physical pain instead of mental pain. He watches me go.

I run. I go to my dorm and unlock the door and I sit down on my bed, and after shaking for a few minutes with regret, I call my Mom.

"Hi honey." She says.

"Mommy." I cry.

"What happened?" she asks.

"Peeta told me he's in love with me and that he would take a bullet for me and he said he wants me to be the mother if his children and that he wants to by me chocolate. Mom, help me!"

"Katniss that's great! Why are you crying?"

"Because I left!" I start sobbing into my hands. "I left. Mom, I left. I love him and I left."

She lets out a long breath. "So go back."

"No I can't. He hates me now. I can't." I choke.

"Katniss stop being foolish! You love him! Go get him!"

"I promised Finn that I would get you and Shane's approval. And that I would get Finn's."

"Well you have mine and Shane's approval." She says. "Get Finnick's."

I continue talking to her, all the way up until it's dark and Johanna and Annie and Finn come in. "What the fuck did you do?" Johanna asks. I hang up on my mother. I've stopped crying a few hours ago. "Bryan is with Peeta, who is sitting on his bed staring at the walk. He won't speak again and he just keeps nodding and shaking his head."

"He told me he loved me and I kissed him and left."

"WHAT?" Johanna pins me to the floor. "What the fuck is wrong with you! You love him and you don't even know it!"

"I do too know it! I panicked. Nobody's ever said that to me before! I couldn't make any commitments because I promised Finn I would get his approval!"

"You know you have my approval." Finn snaps.

"Cato's told you he loves you multiple times!"

"He didn't just say he loved me!" I shout.

"What'd he say?" She shouts back.

He muttered something and I asked "'what?'" because I didn't hear him and he said I said you are the most beautiful person. You don't even know. You are radiant. You are so beautiful. Katniss, I think I'm falling in love with you." He watches me for a moment. '"I think I'm falling in love with you." He sits up. "I want to buy you flowers and chocolate. I want to dance with you when the lights are out when the music isn't playing. I want you to be the mother of my children. Katniss, I'm in love with you. I'm in love with you and I would take a bullet for you."'

"He said all hat? He said that and you left? God Katniss. He was crying. His eyes were all red. He was crying over you. I've never seen any boy cry before. He cried over you." Johanna's voice is softer. She sits down next to me. Annie runs her hand through her hair.

"You need to fix this." She says. "Right now." I stand up.

"What if he rejects me?"

"Then I whip his ass." Finn shrugs. "Now go."

I stumble stupidly out of the dorm and down the hall into the cool night air. I walk numbly over to the boy's dorm and when I come to their door, I knock. Bryan is sitting with Peeta who keeps shaking his head every time Bryan speaks. Bryan looks at me and stands up. "Bye." He says. He shoots me a 'you better fucking fix this' look as he passes. I shut the door and begin to pace.

"Dammit Peeta," I finally decide to say. "I fucked up big time."

He just watches me with a broken look on his face. "Peeta, I've been in love you before you even said your first word to me. I've wanted you since day one. I panicked and left because all my life I've been terrified of relationships. I thought love wasn't real. Every love ends in disaster." He shakes his head. "I thought it did but...it doesn't. Peeta you're like a limb." He smirks but I continue. "I need you. I want you in ways I've never wanted someone before. I want everything you have to offer. I'm in love with you, Peeta. I went back to my dorm and I just cried. I called my mom and I cried. I'm about to start crying again. I'm sorry." I whisper. Tears slip out of the corners of my eyes. "I went into auto. I didn't want to leave. I'm so sorry." I bury my head in my hands.

"You love me?" He asks.

"Yes." I mumble through my tears.

"So if I asked you to be my girlfriend you would say yes?" He asks.

"Yes." He laughs.

"Okay, will you be my girlfriend?"

"Yes."

"Yes" is all I seem to be able to say right now.

We don't say anything else for a little while.

"Come here," he stands up and opens his arms. I walk into them.

"I'm sorry. I never should have left. Peeta, god, I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I should have known you were going to do that."

I look up at him and release the hug. He sits down on his bed and I lay down. He has a day bed.

He lies down next to me. "You can use me as a pillow. Peeta...I don't care what you do to me." He hesitates but he doesn't do anything.

I sigh. "I'm tired." I admit.

"So go to sleep."


	16. Chapter 16

I haven't seen Peeta since last night. I've been having a really bad day. I had classes and that wasn';t the problem because everyone was really nice to me.

The problem…the problem is Will O'Harris. He upset me really bad and I've been ignoring everyone because of it.

He told me…he told me I have really nice tits and he's glad that Cato did what he did, because now he wants to fuck me blind. I left my phone in my dorm, told Johanna and Annie I had to go talk to Cinna and I came out to the field that everyone hangs out when they just want to get out of the house.

That was five and a half hours ago.

On the bright side, I did all of my homework and I've been sitting here drawing in the dirt with a stick with my knees against my chest and my head resting on my knees.

I'm not happy.

Why did he say that?

I get that terrifying feeling like someone is right in your proximity and is watching you.

I look up and relax slightly when I see it's only Peeta.

"We've been looking all over for you for like four hours. I told them that we should check the field, and Finnick said that was stupid. He said that you wouldn't be here." He watches me closely for a moment, and I look back down at the dirt and another round of tears squeeze out of my eyes. I hide my face on my knees. "But Finnick was wrong." He sits down next to me and just rubs my back. "Now, how about you tell me what happened."

I take a deep breath. "Will O'Harris said that he was happy Cato did what he did. He said I had really nice tits and he's glad Cato did it because now he wants to…" I hide my face again. "He wants to fuck me blind."

He laughs actually. "Well, the feelings mutual."

I look at him in fury and I push him. "What? You're happy it happened too? What the fuck Peeta!" I stand up and he scrambles to his feet. We've caused a disturbance in the quiet atmosphere and now almost everyone is watching us discreetly. The news hasn't gotten out that we're together yet, and when it does I know I'm going to be stopped multiple times.

"Wait." Peeta brushes himself off. "I didn't say that!" Nobody has ever really heard him talk before, so they seem pretty surprised.

"You said the feeling was _mutual_! Dammit, I should have known better than to trust you!" I grab the rest of my stuff.

"I didn't mean that!" he stuffs his hands in his pockets. "I meant the other thing he said. The last one! I didn't mean I was glad that Cato did that! God, I wish he was dead! You know that!"

"What last one? What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Well I'm not going to say it!" he says angrily.

"Why not? Because you're glad he did it too!"

"No I'm not!" he says, and his voice is louder, and it shuts me up. I cross my arms. "Stop putting words in my mouth! I said the feeling was mutual because he said he wants to-" he cups his hands around his mouth and mouths 'fuck you blind.'

"Oh."

"Yeah." He crosses his arms.

"Sorry…"

God, why do I always overreact so badly?

"It's fine." he says. "I'm sorry too, for yelling at you."

"It's okay." I mutter.

….a….

We go on spring vacation in three days. "Peeta?" I ask softly. I've wanted to have this answer for a long time. He looks up at me. "Why did your sister kill herself?"

He starts shaking his head like crazy. "I don't want to talk about her."

"Okay…" I sit back against the wall. We're completely alone.

He's silent for a while and then he mutters, "She lived with me and my brother and my Mom. Mom was…terrible. She would beat the fuck out of us at my chance she got. God…she hired this guy to like…rape her. My sister, she was a year older than me. She was my safe haven. I knew she was [planning to kill herself because she told me a few days before she did it, that when she does die, she wants me to stay strong. She said that there are people out there who love me, even if I don't believe it, She said there's a girl out there for me. She said that I'll get rejoined with Dad and me and Caleb wouldn't have to deal with her. She told me she loved me. Then, the next day, I woke up and she was gone."

"She was just gone?" I ask skeptically.

"Well Mom said that she found her and called the cops-"

"And you believe her? Peeta…"

"You watch too much TV." He laughs. "Kat, honey, I went to her funeral. I didn't see her body but-"

"Peeta!" I stand up. "Your mother told you that she was dead and you never saw her body?"

"Just sit down and let me finish please." He says. "You can ask your federal agent questions later." I force myself to. "So we went to the funeral and all. We couldn't see the body because it was too gruesome."

"Sounds like a fucking lie! Peeta, they're lying!"

He sighs. "Katniss, I think your overthinking things. My Mom saw-"

"Your mothers a bitch!" I burst out. "Peeta, she beats you, and your brother, and your sister! You trust her? Honestly?"

"Katniss…" he sighs. "I don't know what to think anymore. I've been to her grave." I stand up again.

"Peeta this sounds like a big mess. It seems to me like your mother played you. Your sister could have left for all you know!"

"No, she would've taken me. Katniss, me and Cress were as close as you and Finnick are. There's no way in hell she would just leave."

"Peeta you never saw the body!"

"You are thinking way too hard about this. I've accepted it. I'm done. She's gone. Can we change the subject please? I'm getting upset."

"Fine, let's do something else." I say.

"Like what?" he asks.

"Well…we're alone." I wiggle my eyebrows at him.

We start making out.


	17. Chapter 17

"What have you been doing on the computer all this time?" Finn asks, barging into Johanna and Annie and I's dorm with Peeta and Bryan.

"Nothing." I shove all of my notes up my shirt and slam the lid of my laptop. Johanna and Annie know exactly what I'm doing, but I'm not going to tell the boys.

I'm not going to tell the boys that I'm searching for Cress.

"What are those?" Peeta asks. He's already suspicious of me because last night, I left and he came over after dinner and I did the same thing I've just done.

"What are what?" I ask.

Finn shoots forwards and reaches right up my shirt and grabs all of the papers. I tackle him and Peeta and Bryan help Finn win. They almost do, too, but Johanna jumps in and helps me, and Annie does too, and then I grab the papers and toss them in the bathroom and shut the door. They can't get in there without a key, and they're not allowed in anyways.

"What the hell is it? Why won't you tell me?" Finn asks.

"I won't tell you because you have a loud ass mouth!" I shout.

Peeta eyes my laptop.

Shit, if he gets that open, I'm doomed. Just as he darts for it, I dive on top of it.

"Give it!" he pleads.

"No!"

"What is it?" Bryan asks.

"It's nothing!"

"Katniss, please tell me." Peeta begs.

"No!" I grab my bag and stuff my laptop in it, and get my papers and my charger and walk out of the dorm. Peeta follows me, and so do Finnick and Bryan.

"What is it?" Finn asks.

"Tell us." Bryan adds.

"Yeah, tell us." Peeta says.

"I will never tell!" I run, I run as fast as I can, and then I dive into a bush when I think they're gone and I hold my breath. People nearby are laughing, but when Peeta and Finn and Bryan ask where I went, they tell them they don't know.

I wait a good ten minutes before coming out.

"What why did they go?' I ask a girl. She plucks a leaf from my hair.

"They went back towards your dorm." She says.

"Thanks." I reply, and I walk in the opposite direction, right into Cinna's classroom. It's empty, aside from him, and he's grading papers. He looks up at me.

"What's wrong Katniss?" he sets his pen down. I hesitate in the doorway.

"Can I hide in there from my brother and boyfriend and friend?" I ask.

He laughs. "Sure."

"I won't disturb you." I add, shutting the door behind me.

I use a music stand as a desk for my papers and pen, which I somehow remembered to grab, and put my laptop on my lap.

"What are you doing, anyways?" Cinna asks.

"Well, you know how Peeta's sister she um…"

"Committed?" he asks.

"Yeah." I reply. "He swears she's dead, but I don't think she is. He went to her funeral but he didn't see her body, and his Mom told him she found her in the bathroom."

"Isn't his mom sort of…a bitch?" he laughs and quickly says, "Don't tell anyone I said that."

"I won't. Yeah, she is a bitch. I think she lied. I think his sister ran away. The boys want to know what I'm doing. I'm trying to find his sister."

"You need to be careful, Katniss." He warns.

"Yeah, I know."

"Didn't you find Peeta's Dad, too?" he asks.

"Yes."

"Man, you should really be a federal agent."

"Yeah, Peeta says the same thing. Everyone say that, actually."

"Well good luck."

"Thanks."

….a….

Cinna went and got himself McDonald's, and when he came back, he handed me a bag and told me it was dinner. And then he sat down and started helping me.

"Have anything so far?"

"Not yet. Well, I have a picture of her, but that's it."

"Let me see her." He says. I click onto the open tab and show him the photo of the girl. She's in a dark blue tank top sitting in a room and her blond hair is the same color as Peeta's but it's perfectly straight without a trace of damage. It falls to her ribs and her eyes are so blue; so clear. She's beautiful and I envy her. She's standing with Peeta's sister, whose name is Colby, and Colby is in a white flowing shirt and her hair is the same color as Cress's. Her hair is a bit shorter, to her boobs, but her hair is parted down the side. They're both gorgeous.

"Wow." Cinna says.

"I know. They're beautiful."

"You know, you should try Facebook." Cinna says.

"God, I keep meaning to do that." I open Facebook and sign in. I search Cress Mellark and the first thing that comes up is of Cress.

"Let's hope for the best." Cinna says. I clikc on the link and…the best is what I receive.

The last thing she posted is of a picture with her with a boy. The boy has dark hair and brown eyes and fluffy hair. She says _I love him but I miss my fam! Really missing my baby brother, Peeta!_

That picture was posted eleven minutes ago.

"Shit!" I swear loudly. Cinna don't scold me. He's literally like my second father. "Oh my god! I need to go tell Peeta!"

"Good luck!" he says. I shove all my shit in my bag, slam the lid to my laptop and bolt. I know they're all in the boys dorm. I bang on the door until Annie opens in and I run in and slam the door. Peeta's sleeping but I shake him awake.

"What?" he asks.

"I so fucking called it! I called it!" I toss my stuff on the bed and begin to pace. He props himself up on his elbows, half awake.

"What are you talking about?"

"Cress isn't fucking dead!"

He lets out a long sigh. "Katniss, I told you she's dead! Would you give up already?"

"No! I found her on Facebook!"

"Cress doesn't have a Facebook."

"Yes she does!"

"Fine, prove it." I get out my laptop and sign in. "That's Cress, right?"

He stares at the screen. "Yes."

"She said 'I love him but I miss my fam! Really missing my baby brother, Peeta!' and there's a photo of her with that guy-"

"That's her boyfriend, or ex now, I suppose. His name is Tucker."

"Peeta she posted that twelve minutes ago."

"No she didn't. Katniss that's impossible. I went to her funeral."

"Peeta, it's her! I know it!"

"She's _dead_!"

"No she isn't!"

"That could be one of her friends that made that account! Cress was super popular!"

"Well fine." I go to _about_ and to _contact information_ and then I get my phone and dial the number.

"Are you calling that number?" he seems angry.

"Yes Peeta, I am." I snap.

The ringing stops on the forth ring and a girl's voice fills the phone.

"Hello?"

Peeta must have heard her, because he gets all pale and he looks like he's going to pass out.

"Hi, is this Cress?" I ask.

"Um…who is this?"

"Is this Cress?" I repeat.

She sighs. "Yes."

"Ah, so this is Cress." Peeta sits up.

"Who is this?"

"I'm Katniss. I'm Peeta's girlfriend."

I hear dead silence for a really long time. I think she's crying because I hear her sniff. "Peeta?" she repeats. "God, you can help me then, right? My boyfriends an asshole! He's like the male version of my mother! I need to get out of here!" she sounds hysterical.

"Put it on speaker." Peeta says. He isn't pale anymore, he's all red. I think he's pissed and I don't know if it's at her or Tucker. I llisten to him. "Cress." He says.

"Peeta!"

"What the hell? Cress is like Mom?"

"Yes!"

"Cress you need to get out of there."

"No, no I can't!"

"Why not!"

"Because, Peeta, he wants to kill me."

"So sneak out."

"He…he locked me in the basement." She whispers. "He's going to kill me."

"Where are you?" Peeta demands.

"I don't know. I think I'm in Wyoming or something. I saw a sign that said 'welcome to Buford'

"I don't know where the hell that-"

"Buford? That's the smallest town in Wyoming."

"I don't know what to do. He's going to kill me!"

"Okay, I need you to fight him when he comes for you. I'm coming to get you."

Peeta doesn't hesitate to get up and start packing.

Everyone in the room starts talking him out of it, insisting to call the cops, but I don't.

I don't because if the situations were reversed and this was Finn or Prim or Katie or Brandon.

"Well I'm coming with you."

"Oh hell no you aren't!" Finn says.

"Finn, if this was me in that basement, you can honestly tell me you wouldn't come?"

He falls silent. And then he stands up and starts packing.

"What!" Annie shrieks.

"Wouldn't you go with Finn?"

She too falls silent.

"Well if everyone is coming then so am I." Johanna says.

"I have to go." Cress hangs up.

**I know I've brought characters back to life before but I think it makes the story better. **

**If you have any complaints, this is just a friendly reminder that this is my story. ;)**


	18. Chapter 18

Peeta is the only one with his license.

The only problem is we need a car.

And the only person in this state that we can go to in order to steal a car is Finn and I's house.

We walk, and it takes a while, but after hot hours of agony, we arrive at my house.

"Someone needs to sneak inside." Finn says. "If Dad sees either one of us he's going to kick our asses."

"I'll do it." I whisper.

"But both of them are home today!"

We snuck out of the school late last night by climbing the fences and tossing our suitcases. When they find out we're gone, they're going to be freaking out.

"We need weapons." Peeta says.

"Ain't anybody know how to work a gun." Johanna says.

"I know how to work a gun'

Peeta snickers. "Federal agent." I scowl.

"How are we going to get into the house? We can't just walk in." Finn looks at him watch. "We have three minutes before they get in the car. Lily's probably in the show and Dad's most likely in the kitchen.

"Mom's car keys are in her purse. Her purse is probably sitting on the bed. The bathroom door is probably open and the shower is glass."

"Is her window screened? I can't remember." Finn says.

"No it isn't. We need to get me up on the second floor."

"Climb up the vines." Peeta says.

That's a brilliant idea.

"Move fast. Lily will be out of the shower in like…a minute."

I run around the side of the house to the back and they follow me. I scramble up the vines to Mom's window.

Guns! I know for a fact Shane has four handguns in his safe. One is under the bed. The safe is under the bed. I slowly open the window and crawl into the house. Mom is in the shower and I hear Shane whistling downstairs. I get Mom's car keys, and I take a ton of money and her credit card, and then I get the gun from under the bed, moving quickly.

How am I going to open up the safe? It's locked.

Shit.

I look at the gun in my hand, and I take a deep breath and shoot the lock. Mom screams and I hear a shout from downstairs. I open the safe and grab all four guns and the tons of ammo and run to my room and open up my top drawer and grab my wallet which is loaded with cash, and I get stuff that could help Cress and then I open up my window. Shane and Mom are in their room and they're about to search the house. I accidentally leave the window open as I scramble down the vines and run for the car.

They follow me. I toss the keys to Peeta and we all clamber into the car. Peeta starts it, and backs out of the driveway.

I see Mom and Shane exit the house, but they don't see who's in the car, but Mom is on the phone.

"We need to take off the license plate."

"Why?" Finn asks.

"When they have a stolen car they track the license plate. We need to tae it off or they're going to find us."

Peeta pulls over and Johanna rips off the license plate. "Mom has an old one. Just switch the stickers on then and put it on."

Johanna does as I say and I instruct Peeta to try and take a back road.

"You realize that right now, we are risking jail time? All of us are seventeen or almost seventeen. We can get charged as adults." Annie's panicking.

"Yes." I say, loading the guns.

"You really need to be a federal agent." Peeta says.

"Just shut up and drive." I laugh.

….a….

"Alright guys." We're pulling into Wyoming. "We need a plan." Peeta says.

Everyone looks at me. "Alright," I say, and Peeta laughs. "We'll be getting there by midnight. There's a few houses in Buford. There is only one house that has a basement. If she's in the basement, she's in that house. Every basement has a window. So, the guy will more than likely be upstairs. Someone needs to go around back and get her out of the window. I'm going in the house.

"What? No." Peeta says. "It's best to try and get her out without him knowing we're there. I say we pull around the back of the house and get her."

"No, someone needs to get the guy unconscious son he doesn't come and kill us. None of you fuckards know how to work a gun."

"Okay, and if you kill him you'll possibly get executed."

"Fine, I won't go in the house."

Of course I'm lying.

"We need a code. Something like Morse code in case something goes wrong and we can't get Cress." Peeta says.

"Alright…" I bite my lip. "Well Annie you are staying in the car. If something goes amiss, Johanna tells her and she flashes the lights one time she we know."

"One time is if the basement window is locked."

….a….

We shut the headlights off as we pulls up to the house. I gave everyone that getting out of the car a gun, and kept one for myself. Peeta and Finn are going around back, and I am too.

Well, they think I am, but I'm going in the house.

"Don't shut the doors." I whisper. "He'll hear them slam."

"We can shut them after we get my sister." Peeta says.

"Alright." I reply.

"There's a catch though." Peeta says.

"Which is?" I ask.

"If he killed her, I get to kill him."

"Deal." I get out of the car, and Finn and Peeta follow. Johanna is a guard, and so is Bryan. Annie is to stay in the car and keep her mouth shut, ready to help when it's needed.

When Finn and Peeta are halfway around back, I turn around and run to the front. I hear Peeta, Finn, Johanna and Bryan and Annie all hiss in annoyance. Johanna makes wild and rude gestures with her hands and I ignore. The doors unlocked. We all shut our phones off before we left, because if we didn't, we would have gotten multiple phone calls from family and we can't risk them finding us. We have been listening to the radio though, and we've been reported missing. They know it was us that stole the car and the guns.

And of course, they're tracking the license plate.

I push open the front door and I see Tucker sitting there.

Our eyes lock and he snatches the gun up and I point mine right at his heart. "Drop your gun." I say.

"No."

"Drop your gun or I shoot."

"I drop mine if you drop yours." He says.

"Deal. On the count of three."

"One." He says.

"Two," I say.

"Three!" he drops his and I don't drop mine. No, instead I shot forward and use the butt of the gun to knock him unconscious.

The headlights flash through the window.

Dammit, thee basement's window is locked.

I snatch up Tuckers gun and drag his body out ot the porch.

"Guys I knocked him out cold. Watch his ass and make sure he doesn't kill me!"

Everyone comes to the front of the house. I go back inside. "Cress?" I shout. I hear her scream.

"Help me!"

"Where the fuck is the door to the basement?"

"I don't know! He blindfolded me when he brought me in!" I search blindly for the door. I flick on every light in the house and open every door until I find one that's locked. I jiggle the handle insistently.

"Hey, Peeta, call the cops!"

"Why?" he demands.

"Just do it!" I hear him on the phone.

"Cress, I need you to get away from the door."

"Okay." She says.

I wait a minute, and then I shoot the handle and the door opens.

She's lying on the floor and she looks like a rail because she's so skinny. The room smells so strongly of piss.

I hear sirens outside. I clamber into the basement and walk over to Cress.

"I can't walk." She whispers. "He broke my leg." I pull her carefully to her feet. 'Where's my brother?"

"He's outside." I say. "He's watching Tucker."

"Katniss hurry the fuck up! He's moving!"

Shit, he's waking up.

Hurriedly, I help Cress up the stairs and onto the porch. All of their guns are trained on him.

He grabs another gun from his pocket and points it at me. "Let her go."

"Fuck no."

"Yes. Let her go right now." He tightens his grip.

I look at Johanna and blink. It's only once, but she interprets the meaning and sneezes. His eyes dart to her for only a second, and I rip the gun from his hand and toss it to Annie, who seems terrified to have a gun in his hand. Cress sinks to the ground, and Peeta takes a step forward and I shoot him the 'don't move' look. "Now," I decide I have to torture him. "Your just a little fuckwad, aren't you?" I ask, tracing his read with the butt of the gun. "You have a lot of fucking nerve, you know that."

"I'll kill you someday."

"No you won't."

"You won't pull that trigger on me!"

I stand up at the same time he does, and he puts a knife from his other pocket to my throat and pushes me against the wall. "I'm going to kill you."

They don't know how to work the guns. They won't move.

Lucky for me though, my gun is pointed downwards, still in my hand.

I need to shoot him.

Will I go to jail? Do I even care if I go to jail?

No, I don't care. I don't care because I love Peeta.

I move my hand slightly so it's pointed at him thigh, and I pull the trigger.

His eyes widen and he falls down.

He won't die, but now he can't hurt me.

I help Cress up and off the porch. We sit down in the grass until the police show up.

"You are those kids that stole your parent's car and guns." The federal agent says. "I'm going to have to take all of you in for questioning."


	19. Chapter 19

We have been waiting for our parents. When Mom and Shane get here, we are going to be in so much trouble. They're taking us in one by one for questioning.

Everyone has gone, but honestly, I have all the answers. I wait impatiently between Finn and Peeta.

"Miss Everdeen?" Federal Agent Paylor asks. I stand up and follow her into a room, like the ones on NCIS. "Would you care to tell me what happened? How you discovered what happened?"

"Um…okay."

"Okay, how did you know Peeta's sister wasn't dead?"

"Well, Peeta and I started dating. He told me Cress had committed suicide before, when we were only friends. I asked him a few days ago for what happened and he told me she committed suicide because of his mother. He said his mother found her. But you see Agent Paylor, Peeta's mother isn't a very good person."

"Yes, she's in prison for child abuse."

"Yes, so Peeta told me that his mother got this man to like…rape her. He said he woke up and she was gone. He said his mother found her dead. He never saw her body. He went to her funeral but her body was apparently too gruesome to show. I told him that it sounded like a lie. He insisted she was dead. I went only and I saw searching. I found photos of Cress that were posted. Peeta said it was a friend that probably made the account-"

"On what website?" another agent asks.

"Facebook. Anyways, I went to about and I went to contact information and I called the number. Cress answered and she was hysterical. She said that Tucker, whose middle and last name I do not know, was planning to kill her. She said she was a 'welcome to Buford.' You see ma'am, I Google a lot of stuff. I have a lot of questions and even though they're hard to find, I've found that the internet has the answers. Buford, Wyoming was the first town in Wyoming. It had a population of one. There is only one house in Buford with a basement. Peeta said he was going after his sister. I decided to come with him, and we all did. We knew the guy was crazy, so we walked from out boarding school in upstate Michigan to my step brother, Finnick and I's house. I stole my Mom's car keys and I got their guns so we could protect ourselves, and I stole some money, too. We drove out to Buford. I made a plan. We all followed it. I went into the house and knocked out Tucker. I got Cress from the basement because the basement window was locked. Tucker woke up when I got out to the porch. He pointed his other gun at me and I knocked it out of his hand. Then he pinned me with a knife against the wall. That was when I shot him, ma'am. He was going to kill me, and Cress, and probably the rest of us too."

She's silent for a long time. "That's the exact same story I've heard from everyone. You've been talking with a lie detector listening the whole time. I know you are telling the truth, Miss Everdeen. You aren't going to jail. None of you are. This won't be on your record, either." She pauses. "But, you are a very intelligent girl. I'm assuming you've thought of who is in Cress's grave, haven't you?"

"Yes ma'am and I think I know who it is."

Of course I thought of that. They can't have a funeral without the body of a girl that looks like Cress.

"Come with me." She uncuffs and leads me past my friends into another room. There are a ton of federal agents in here. "She thinks she knows who is in the grave of Cress Kale Mellark." She says. All of the agents look at me.

"Well, I was thinking…" I allow Agent Paylor give me a seat and some coffee. "If Cress is alive, who is in her grave, because they can't have a funeral without a body, right? The people that work in the Funeral Home would know that the girl isn't the actual girl if she didn't look like Cress." They all nod. "So I got to thinking of all the possibilities. What if Cress had a twin? But then I thought no, because Peeta would have told me. Io was thinking that it's possible he didn't tell me. I went searching the Mellark family trees and didn't find a thing about Cress being a twin. So, I went to the missing persons. There is a girl named Ruth Lorence. She has blond hair and blue eyes and looks like Cress. She went missing around the same time. I went through her Facebook and her twitter. There was this man in every photo. I found out his name, Brett Indigo. I found out that Brett Indigo committed suicide over a breakup, a breakup with Ruth. I searched Brett's family history. He has a brother. His brother, Alex Indigo, was posting stuff like 'I'm going to do this' and 'that bitch' and then on the day before the funeral, Ruth went missing. So, I got to thinking. What if Alex wanted revenge on Ruth? What if he blamed Ruth for his little brother's death? Since Ruth looked so much like Cress, I was thinking that maybe, and this is just a theory. Maybe Alex killed Ruth, broke into the funeral home right before they started getting the bodies ready to dress for the funerals and put Ruth in there? Alex had kept posting photos of knifes. Maybe he sliced her up to kill her? That could be why they didn't show the body. I think that he put Ruth where Cress should've been and the people didn't see she wasn't Cress because they look alike. I think that Ruth Lorence is in Cress Mellark's grave."

I sit back and take a long drag of my coffee.

"I'm sorry, how old are you?" one of the agents asks.

"I'll be seventeen in May." I reply.

"Miss Everdeen that is the smartest thing I have ever heard of!" The room applauds. Agent Paylor leads me back to my friends.

All our parents got here at the exact same time.

"Alright," Agent Paylor says. "I'm not putting the kids in jail. Katniss helped us find a missing girl, capture a criminal and possibly help us find a murderer of a girl, who she suspects, and we agree, could be in Cress's grave. Since she's been such a help, the reward to all of you is not putting you guys in jail, not letting this case go public and not putting this on your record. That and we are going to pay for all of your college tuitions." Cress is here, too. She's not even injured. She only sprained her ankle, not broke it. "And Miss Everdeen, I highly recommend you try and become an FBI agent. I think you would do great."

"Thank you."

Peeta mutters a 'I so called that one' and I fight not laughing.

"Wait," Mom blurts before Agent Paylor walks away. "What about the school? They think the kids skipped and they want them kicked out."

"Oh yeah, what about out school?" Mrs. Mason asks. "My daughter needs to stay at that school."

"Yes, Annabelle cannot switch schools." Mrs. Cresta says.

"We will contact the school and get it taken care of. Is that all?"

"Yes, I think so."

"Okay, you guys can get going."

"Can you um…" Peeta bites lip.

"Can you uncuffs them?" I ask.

"Oh, right." She gets the key and uncuffs all of them. "Really though Miss Everdeen, you should seriously consider becoming a federal agent. I will help you get hired."

"I don't know…" I bite my lip.

"Well, you know where to find me." She walks away.

"Alright," Mom puts her hands on her hips. "I want my car keys. I want my wallet and I want my credit card."

I dig into my pocket and hand her everything. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Mom repeats. "Why the hell are you sorry? You saved lives Katniss, I couldn't be prouder! I'm proud of all of you! You guys are a team!"

"We should celebrate." Mr. Mellark says. "Let's go out to dinner. You kids must be starving." Cress walks over to me and just stares at me for a moment.

"If my brother gets married, it better be to you." She hugs me, and I hug her back. "You saved my life, Katniss." She pulls away. "You all did, really."

Peeta and she haven't even spoken yet. She hugs Finn and Annie and Johanna and Bryan. Then, she turns to Peeta. "Honestly, I'm pissed at you." He says.

She shrugs. "Okay."

"But still, come here." He opens his arms, and she walks into them. "If you _ever_ and I mean _ever_ leave like that again, I'll kick your ass."

She snorts. "You're my baby brother. I may be small but I can still kick your ass."

"Want to bet?"

"You just wait." She says. "Dad, can we get something to eat? I'm really hungry."

"Yes. Let's all go."

…a…

I don't think I've ever seen Peeta this happy. He's obnoxious, really. This must be the real him. Cress and his other sister, Colby, and his brother, Rye and Graham, and his little brother Barley and I, we just keep teasing him. He isn't even bothered; he just snickers and throws it right back in our face. The rest of them are just watching us, and they all seem so happy.

"How much more of that are you going to eat?" Rye asks.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Peeta laughs.

"It means you need to share with your girlfriend!" I reach right over his shoulder and steal a huge handful of his fries.

"Hey, and your big sis!" Cress steals a handful.

"And your favorite brother!" Rye grabs a handful.

"And your little bro!" Barely, who is fourteen reaches across the table and steals a handful.

"And your other bro! The favorite!" Graham steals a handful.

"Well, I'm the actual favorite, so I get all of them!" Colbie steals the rest of his fries.

"Well then I get your shake." Peeta steals my milkshake.

"What? No!" I snatch it back, and end up spilling it all over both of our laps. The seven of us stare at the mess, and then I burst out laughing, and so do the others.

Of course, I scrap it off my lap and rub it all over Peeta's face.

"You guys realize you're in a restaurant and everyone is staring at you, correct?" Mom asks with a smile. We look up and see the whole restaurant is watching us, and they seem to be enjoying themselves.

"Hi!" I wave at everyone, and then we all start laughing again.

"Hey Peet, care to share your burger?" Rye asks.

"No, that's-" Rye takes it and shoves the whole thing in his mouth.

"Hey!" Peeta protests and I hand him back his fries.

"Dip them in the milkshake." I say.

"Okay." He takes a fry and dips it in the shake on our laps.

In the end, we all end up dipping the French fries in the shake.

**Guys, i'm going to skip to summer because because I kind of want to get to senior year in this story.**


	20. Chapter 20

I can't stop crying.

I cried yesterday and now I'm crying today. Tomorrow is going to be the worst. Peeta lies with me with his fingers running through my hair.

I feel like such a baby. I keep mumbling apologies. Tomorrow is the last day of school. Dad is picking me up and I'm going to his house for like a month and a half and then I'm going home.

"Look," Peeta whispers. "We've got Skype and texting and Facebook and Twitter and Instagram. It's okay. Patience is a virtue. Just be patient and the months will fly past. We'll be back at school in no time and I will be with you and you will be with me. Okay?"

"Okay." I whisper.

We are totally alone. We don't have classes anymore so they don't care what we do. Finn is already gone with Mom and Shane, Johanna and Annie are going to spend the summer together and they asked me to come but I told them I was going with dad. They left. Bryan left too. Peeta was asked to come spend summer at my house but he said no. He said he never gets to see his family and he misses them. I know it's because he just wants to see his sister. I leave tomorrow and so does Peeta.

Lucky for me though, Dad moved out of Florida to Louisiana. I could probably beg him to take me to see Peeta.

If I'm lucky he will say yes.

"Okay." I mumble.

"Okay. What do you want to do to pass time until tomorrow?" He asks.

"Let's just watch a movie or something. Just don't look at the title and out something random in."

"Okay."

...&...

Knocking on Peeta's door rouses us. We didn't do anything rash, we just watched a movie and fell asleep.

I sit down on Peeta's bed and check my phone. He opens the door and Cress flips when she sees me.

"What are you doing for summer?" she demands. "God, you need to come visit! Colby and I need another girl! We're going to be stuck with five boys, Katniss!" My phone dings and I see a message that says 'here at your dorm' and it's from my father.

I laugh. "I'm going to see my father in Louisiana."

"Louisiana? Where? I'll come pick you up!"

"Um...I don't know. My Dad is here now, actually."

"Where? Let me go talk to him!"

"Okay," I laugh. "Let's go."

She holds my hand like how Prim and I used to do and I lead her to my dorm. Dad is waiting and he looks at Cress.

"Dad, this is Cress, Peeta's sister."

"Ah, yes, nice to meet you." The guys followed us. I unlock my door and let dad and Mr. Mellark talk about how divorce sucks and all that. Dad tells Mr. Mellark he lives in Baton Rouge and Mr. Mellark lives in a town an hour and fifteen minutes from there. Then Cress goes on this huge rant about how I'm going to see them every day and how we are going to have tons of sleepovers. I laugh and make sure I have everything.

Dad seems hesitant about me going over there. He's afraid I'm going to have sex.

He doesn't say it directly, but I know.

"Alright squirt, you ready to hit the road?" He asks.

"Um, yeah, okay." I say. Everyone watches me then to Peeta, and they decide to leave us be. I hug him and he hugs me back and I just stand there in his arms for a while. He plants a kiss all over my face.

"I'll see you, okay? Cress will make sure."

I smile. "Okay. I love you."

"I love you too."

I pull away and bite my lip. "No tears, okay honey? You'll love my

"Dad's house by the water and it's on this huge lake and he has a ton of canoes and shit. Rye loves to push them over so be prepared. His house is big too. He has her skis and water skis and a huge boat. You are going to love it there. You won't even want to leave."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." He smiles.

"Why do all of your names have something to do with food?"

"That's because my family owns a bakery and we grew up there. You knew that."

"True but I didn't know if that was the reason."

He shrugs and runs his fingers through his hair. "I love you."

"I love you too." I whisper.

He's silent for a moment. "Oh, and another thing about my Dad's house; It's on tons if acres and the lake is like a spring so it's like perfectly clear. You can see right down to the bottom. It doesn't look very deep but with scuba gear it took Rye ten minutes to swim down there. He has a game room and everything."

"I'm going to make sure I get to come over." I kiss him. "I'm going to miss you."

"I'm going to miss you, too." He whispers. "Do you have everything?"

"Yes."

He opens the door, and Dad steps in and helps me get all of my shit.

"Let's go squirt." He says. "There's supposed to be another snowstorm hitting this state. I want to be out of here before it gets anywhere near us."

"A snowstorm?" I laugh. "It's eighty degrees."

"Yeah, I know. It's going to get really stormy here, and then the storm will bring in a cold front."

"It's June."

"I know. We need to get out of here."

If there is one thing Dad hates, it's definitely snow. He says it's stupid and too bright and he can't stand it. He doesn't want to risk the snow. He _hates_ snow.

"Alright, let's go then."

"I'm so totally coming to get you." Cress hugs me. "You don't have a choice, okay?"

"Yeah, maybe you guys can come up for a barbeque." Mr. Mellark suggests. "And we can camp out on that island."

"Oh, maybe I can meet your sister officially." Peeta says.

"Oh, she'll like that." I smile. Rye and Graham hug me and kiss my cheeks. Peeta of course, has to kiss me on the lips to claim his territory.

"I'll see you, okay?" he asks.

"Okay." Cress hugs me again, and then Colby does. "Bye."

Dad practically drags me out of the dorm then. He signs the sign out sheet in the office to tell them I've left, and then we load up the car. He's got a truck.

He doesn't get in the front though. "You've got your permit? You know how to drive?"

"Yes." I narrow my eyes.

He doesn't say another word; he just gets in the passenger seat.

Oh, this is going to be interesting.


	21. Chapter 21

"Oh wait; this is that song with that Disney girl on that ball naked?" Dad asks.

"Yeah, Wrecking Ball," I reply. It's just come on the radio.

"Oh, Prim loves this song. It's quiet annoying. She blasts it through the whole house. I don't like it. I think that this girl is being a bad influence."

"Well…" I stop at a red light. "I kind of agree, but then again…I think people need to get past the fact that she was on Disney."

"Yes, I agree, but still, she was on Disney and children love her and they look up to this."

"Either way, I still like this song."

Dad laughs, but he doesn't say anything else.

….a….

Dad started driving at night time because I was exhausted. We're going to switch off. I called Mom to check in and then I fell asleep. When I wake, it's because we've stopped at a Crackle Barrel for breakfast. We eat and then I start driving and Dad sleeps.

We do this until I see the '_Welcome to Louisiana_' sign. I rouse Dad, and he drives.

It only took a day and a half to get here.

...a...

My phone ringing rouses me. I groan in protest. I haven't seen Peeta since that day, and that was a month ago. If I don't see him soon, I won't see him at all. Dad took us to Florida to go to all the theme parks. We've just gotten back today, and I fell asleep.

I almost don't answer until I see it's Peeta. "Hello?" I mumble, and I probably sound like shit son he can't understand me.

"Sorry to wake you…I can call back, really, I can."

"No it's fine."

"Katniss I'm about to come and get you." Cress says.

"What?" I ask.

"Get dressed! Get up! Take a shower! Pack your bags!"

"Cress I can't just leave-"

"My Dad already talked to your Dad and you're coming to stay with us for a week! Get your lazy ass up!"

"Um…okay."

"Tell Prim, too. Barley needs a fuck buddy!"

"Um…Prim is not going to fuck Barley-"

"I'm kidding! Now _get up_! I'm going to be there in a half hour!"

"Um…okay. What do I need to bring?"

"Pack like you're going to stay at a beach house."

"Wait." I say. "I don't have a swimsuit or anything."

"Then we'll stop at the store!" She hangs up.

"Dad!" I shout, scrambling up and tripping on the sheets. He's in the kitchen.

"Did Cress call you yet?" he asks.

"Yes. Am I really going over there for a week?"

"Yes you are. I have to go out of town to work and so does Lisa. Prim is going to Mom's and then Katie and Brandon are going to their grandmothers. Now go get ready."

"Okay." I go upstairs and get another bag and pack tons of shorts and underwear and bras and sunscreen and sunglasses, and I get my contacts and my glasses, because without them I'm blind.

I take a quick shower and I put on my bra and underwear and I get my white dress. The doorbell rings and I swear loudly.

"Watch your mouth!" Dad shouts up the stairs. "You didn't grow up in a trailer park Katniss Joy!" the dress is white and it's longer in the back than it is in the front. I put my tan belt around my waist and put on my wedges, tripping over myself as I stumble into my bedroom, brushing my hair with one hand and packing the rest of my stuff with the other. Cress walks into my bedroom.

"God, I wish I had your body." She says. "I can't wear a dress like that. I envy you."

In roll my eyes. "Okay Cress, we have like the same body."

"Yeah, but still." She laughs. "Peeta's in the car with Colby and Rye and Graham. We sort of ditched Barley because he's being a brat. Peeta's kind of pissed at him because he said you were sexy."

"Ew. He's like fourteen."

"Yeah, I know. Barely might actually have a black eye and Peeta might have not been calling you lately because he got his phone taken away."

"Let me guess," I put my contacts in. "Peeta got pissed that Barley said what he said and then Peeta punched Barley, gave him a black eye and got his phone taken away."

She smirks. "We told him it was wrong but he didn't listen."

"Oh, well I'll just have to have a little talk with him, now won't I?"

"Yes you will." I grab my bag.

"Bye Dad!" I shout. I have a couple hundred dollars of my own in my wallet so I'll be okay for a while.

"Did you purposely not braid your hair?" Cress asks. "Your hair is perfect. Leave it down."

Cress and I go outside. She tosses my bag in the back of the car. "You're on Peeta's lap." She says.

"Kay," Peeta gets out and gives me a big hug, and I kiss.

We're hardly in the car before I start in on him. "You punched your brother?"

He looks at Cress and sighs. "You said you wouldn't tell her."

She snickers. "You believed me." She shakes her head. "You're so smart."

"Why did you punch your brother? Because he said I was hot? God Peeta, that's fucked up. He was only telling the truth."

"Yeah, but he said he wanted to fuck you. Katniss he's fourteen. You see, I had to hit him to get those thoughts out of his head."

"You didn't _have_ to hit him."

"You're right." He says. He's only saying it to shut me up. I scowl.

"Did you apologize to him?"

"Well…not exactly."

"Well, until you apologize, I can't be around you." I scoot over to Rye's lap.

"Hey, that's no fair."

I act like he isn't speaking. His siblings are laughing their asses off.

It takes all of ten minutes of Peeta moping for him to pull out his phone and call Barley. "Look man, I'm sorry for punching you in the face. Just watch what you say and it won't happen again."

After a moment, he hangs up and looks at me with a pleading look on his face. I crawl across Graham back to Peeta.

"Better?" he asks.

"Much."

We're all quiet for a little while, and then I blurt out what's been on my mind.

"So I've been thinking…"

"Oh here we go." Peeta smiles.

"I might take up Agent Paylor on that job when I get older."

"Really?" Cress asks.

"Yeah…I mean…I kind of know a little bit too much about that kind of stuff, don't you think? Shouldn't I take advantage?"

"Yeah, that's why I keep calling you an FBI agent." Peeta says. "Just one thing," Peeta says. "You could get killed."

I shrug. "I'll be dying for a good cause, right?"

"Yeah." he sighs. "I guess."

"We need music." Cress says. But she doesn't switch on the radio. She pulls into a mall parking lot and turns to me. "Let's go shopping!"


	22. Chapter 22

**Okay guys, that was actually the last chapter. I'm going to write a sequel for this story, and I think you'll like it. **


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